Family name
Myrsinaceae

Local name(s) 
Enkoko (Amargna), Hanqu (Oromiffa), Kanko (Sidamgna)

General description
A tree to 7m but often a shrubby climber with smooth red-brown bark. Twigs are without hairs but with raised pale dots, the breathing pores. Leaves are oval, wide or narrow to 8cm x 4cm. The midrib and 15 or more side veins are raised below. Flowers are green-white-cream and tiny, on a hairy stalk from the leaf axil. Fruits are many on stalks, each rounded, 6cm across, red when ripe, tipped by the old style, one seed inside.

Edible part(s), preparation methods and palatability
Fruits and leaves are edible. Fruits are consumed as a medicine against tapeworms and other intestinal parasites in normal times. The leaves are reported to be edible and are used as food in eastern Africa. Fruits are collected and consumed during food shortage periods for the sake of normal food consumption and not as a curative measure against any disease.

Agroecology
An under-storey tree in semi-humid highland forest, Celtis, Podocarpus, Juniperus, Ekebergia and Aningeria forests of moist and wet mid- and lower highland (1,700 - 2,600m).

Propagation method(s)
Propagates by seedlings and wildlings.

Sample location(s)

Remarks
 
 

¹ Parts of the following description have been taken from Bekele-Tesemma et al., 1993: p. 208/209