SALVADORA persica L. [family SALVADORACEAE]

Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Somalia
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora Somalia, Vol 2, (1999) Author: by Abdi M. Dahir [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
Names
SALVADORA persica L. [family SALVADORACEAE], (1753).—Verdcourt in Kew Bull. 19: 147–154 (1964).
Information
Evergreen shrub with grey or whitish scrambling stems, or a small tree. Leaves pale green or greyish-green, ± fleshy; petiole 3–13(–20) mm long; blade leathery, lanceolate to elliptic or round, 1.4–10.5 x 1.2–7.5 cm, cuneate to subcordate at the base, rounded to acute and sometimes mucronate at the apex. Flowers greenish-white, in numerous axillary and terminal panicles. Drupes red or dark purple when ripe, c. 5–7 mm in diam.
Notes
Cadey (Som., plant), rumay (Som., tooth brush); mustard tree (Eng.).The fruits of S. persica are edible and have a pungent taste. Twigs and roots are widely used as tooth brush. Extracts from S. persica are used also in some tooth pastes in Europe, and the contents of salt and resins are said to have a cleaning effect. The species has been divided into a number of varieties, and except for the widespread type variety, three other varieties have been recorded in Somalia. These are no more than extreme forms within a continuous variation, and can be distinguished as follows:
SALVADORA persica L. [family SALVADORACEAE]
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