Brandybush

flava: yellow, referring to the flower colour, which is also yellow in many other species.

Dense multi-stemmed shrub, up to 2 m tall, occasionally a taller small tree. Bark dark grey-brown; young branches velvety, becoming dark purple-black. Leaves alternate, often held upright, elliptic to oblanceolate-obovate, up to 7 × 2.5 cm, 3-veined from the almost symmetric base, grey-green above, paler below, finely hairy on both surfaces or more so below; margin finely to somewhat coarsely toothed. Flowers yellow fading to orange-brown, 1.5 cm in diameter, solitary or in few-flowered axillary heads. Fruit spherical or 2-lobed, c. 8 mm in diameter, reddish-brown when ripe, edible.

Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa.

Grewia flava, the brandy bush, wild currant, velvet raisin, or raisin tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southern Africa. A common shrub species, it is spreading into grasslands due to human rangeland management practices, and increasing rainfall. The berries are sweet and edible, but have little flesh and so are typically collected to ferment into alcoholic beverages. The desert truffle Kalaharituber pfeilii is often found in association with its roots.

Female Acmaeodera viridaenea feeding on a flower

Leucocelis amethystina drinking nectar

Close-up of flowers and flower buds

Botanical illustration