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Cyphomandra betacea / Tree tomato
Scientific name:
Cyphomandra betacea
Order/Family:
Solanaceae
Local names:
Tree tomato
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Distribution
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| Geographical Distribution of Tree tomato (red marked) |
Description
| A large evergreen shrub to 3 m with characteristic umbrella-like branching Bark: Young stems are shiny, old stems with rounded leaf scars. Leaves: Alternate, large, rather heart-shaped, 40x30m cm, softly hairy, drooping in heat, on a long stalk Flowers: In fragrant hanging groups from older stems. Each flower is 5-lobed, white-pink and with a darker stripe. Fruit: In clusters, egg-shaped to 7 cm long, abundant, on long stems, shiny orange-red to purple. |
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Uses and Propagation
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Uses:
Edible fruit (vegetable, jam) bee forage, Propagation: Seedings, cuttings, wildings. Use of cuttings from mother plants with good fruit ensures that a good type is propagated. Cuttings of 1 - 2-year-old wood, 10 - 30 mm thick and 45 - 100 cm long can be defoliated and planted directly in the field. Cuttings may give need to be removed to promote growth in the first year. Seed
90,000 - 18,000 seeds per kg. Seperate seed from fruit pulp, clean and dry in the shade.Treatment: Not required, although freezing may improve germination. Storage: Store well. |
Management and Remarks
Fast growing. Pruning. Shallow root system, so deep cultivated should be avoided near the tree. Mulch is beneficial.
Remarks: The fruit is slower to ripen at higher altitudes, the acid fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, the quality depending on the variety grown. Large-scale commercial production and organized marketing occurs in New Zealand, but international trade in the fruit and preserves remains small. No named cultivars exist. Red fruits are often chosen for fresh fruit markets because they look attractive, but they have a stronger, more acid flavour than yellow ones. Yellow fruit can be canned, but the juice of the red fruit is too abrasive.
Information Source Links
- Bekele-Tesemma, B. (2007). Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia. World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. ISBN 92-9059-2125
www.worldagroforestry.org - Maundu, P. and Tengnäs, B. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya. World Agroforestry Centre. ISBN: 9966-896-70-8
www.worldagroforestry.org