Grewia

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Crossberry (Grewia occidentalis)


Plant Characteristics
Habit   shrub

Lifespan: ⌛ perennial
Cultivation
Scientific Names

Malvaceae >

Grewia >


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The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by in the APG. Formerly, it was placed in either the linden family (Tiliaceae) or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, these were both not monophyletic with respect to other Malvales - as already indicated by the uncertainties surrounding placement of Grewia and similar genera - and have thus been merged into the Malvaceae. Together with the bulk of the former Sparrmanniaceae, Grewia is in the subfamily Grewioideae and therein the tribe Grewieae, of which it is the type genus.[1]

Several species, namely Phalsa, are known for their edible fruit, which are of local commercial importance. The astringent and refreshing Grewia drupes are particularly popular in summertime. Folk medicine makes use of some species, which are reputed to cure upset stomachs and some skin and intestinal infections, and seem to have mild antibiotic properties. G. mollis is reputed to contain β-carboline alkaloids[2], though whether such compounds occur in other species too and whether they are produced in quantities to render the plants psychoactive has not been thoroughly studied.


Read about Grewia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Grewia (Nehemiah Grew, of Coventry, 1628-1682, author of a work on anatomy of plants). Tiliaceae. Two or three woody plants slightly cultivated in southern Florida.

A genus of about 70 species of trees and shrubs in the warmer parts of the world, often having stellate pubescence: lvs. entire or serrate, 1-9-nerved: fls. yellow or rarely purple, in axillary, few-fld. cymes or terminal panicles; petals 5, with pits or glands inside at the base; stamens indefinite; ovary 2-4-celled: drupe 1-4-stoned. G. caffra, Meissn., from Natal, was intro. by Beasoner Bros, in 1891. A bushy plant with young shoots and lvs. glabrous and with purple star-shaped fls. borne during most of the year. G. denticulata, Wall., from India, was never described. Under this name Reasoner cult, a plant "resembling a mulberry in growth, which bears enormous quantities of acid drupes, about the size of cranberries; used for Eickling." G. oppositifolia, Roxbg., is a rough, much- ranched tree, with distichous, crenate-serrate lvs. and fls. in umbellate cymes, borne opposite the lvs.: fls. yellowish, the oblong petals half the length of the sepals.


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


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Species

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Gallery

References

External links


  1. ↑ Heywood et al. (2007)
  2. ↑ Brown (2001)
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