Grewia tenax, called the phalsa cherry, white crossberry, raisin bush, gangara, gangu, or kanger, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae.[3][4] It is native to Africa, from the Sahara to Tanzania and parts of southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and on to the Indian Subcontinent.[2] The ripe fruit is edible and is consumed by local peoples either fresh, dried, or powered in drinks.[5]

Grewia tenax
Fruit and flower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Grewia
Species:
G. tenax
Binomial name
Grewia tenax
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Chadara tenax Forssk.
    • Grewia betulifolia Juss.
    • Grewia chadara Lam.
    • Grewia makranica Rech.f. & Esfand.
    • Grewia populifolia Vahl
    • Grewia ribesiifolia Hochst. ex Mast.

Subtaxa

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The following subspecies are currently accepted:[2]

  • Grewia tenax subsp. makranica (Rech.f. & Esfand.) Browicz – Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
  • Grewia tenax subsp. tenax

References

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  1. ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2019). "Grewia tenax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T138420652A149047212. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T138420652A149047212.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Grewia tenax (Forssk.) Fiori". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Grewia tenax phalsa cherry". The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  4. ^ Sharma, Nidhi; Patni, Vidya (2012). "Grewia tenax (Frosk.) Fiori.- A traditional medicinal plant with enormous economic prospectives" (PDF). Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 5 (Suppl 3): 28–32. ISSN 0974-2441. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  5. ^ Gebauer, J.; Patzelt, A.; Hammer, K.; Buerkert, A. (2007). "First record of Grewia tenax (Forssk.) Fiori in northern Oman, a valuable fruit producing shrub". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 54 (6): 1153–1158. doi:10.1007/s10722-007-9241-6. S2CID 32022009.