Grey-leaved Saucer Berry

سابستان

• COMMON NAME:grey-leaved saucer berry, grey-leaved cordia, marer, mnya mate, mkamasi and tadana.

• ARABIC:سابستان

• BOTANICAL NAME:Cordia sinensis Lam.

• SYNONYMS:Gerascanthus sinensis (Lam.) Borhidi, Quarena sinensis (Lam.) Raf.

• FAMILY:BORAGINACEAE

• KIND:Native

• EMIRATE:Ras-Al-Khaimah

• CATEGORIES:Fruits (F)

• GROWTH FORMS:ShrubsTree

• HABITATS:Slope (Rocky)

• TYPES:Annual

• REMARKS:Rare. Recorded from a single location on south-facing cliffs in Wadi Naqab (Ru'us al-jibal).

DESCRIPTION:

Tree or shrub, up to 2-5 m, much-branched. Young stems smooth bark, bark of older stems with longitudinal fissures. Leaves dark green. narrowly oblong with wavy edges, rounded tips, 0.5-3.5* 2-8 cm. Inflorescences in loose clusters on 1.5-3 cm long stalk. Flowers creamy-white, tube 0.4 cm long, flower 0.05 cm across, sweet smell. Fruit egg-shaped, 0.8- 1.5 cm, orange, with slimy flesh around seed. Base of fruit encased in conical cup, typical of cordia spp. Flowering from February to April.

REFERENCES:

M.V.D jongbloed, G.R. Fuelner, B. Boer, A.R. Western. the comprehensive guide to the wild flowers of the United Arab Emirates. Environmental research and wildlife Development agency, Abu Dhabi, 2003. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:114552-1/images https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordia_sinensis