Cassine peragua fruit

Cassine peragua fruits in several stages of ripening are visible upon this tree photographed in Kirstenbosch during April. The ovoid fruit becomes from 5 mm to 15 mm in diameter, changing colour from green, through beige, orange and reddish to brown, purple and nearly black when ripe. The fruit that may carry from one to six seeds each, are seen on the tree during autumn and winter.

These fruits are eaten by birds (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Schmidt, et al, 2002).