The Jacket-plum (Pappea capensis)

• LUISE HOFFMANNTHE jacket-plum is quite common in Namibia south of latitude 26°S. It often grows along water courses but also on rocky slopes and it is highly adaptable to climate and soil conditions.

Thus, it can be found in a broad swath from the southern parts of Namibia up to the South African east coast, in the Zambezi region and throughout tropical Africa up to Ethiopia. It also occurs occasionally in Kaokoland. A few trees of this kind can be seen north of the B4 just out of Aus towards Lüderitz.

Names: G. Pappea-Baum; A. (RSA) doppruim, (Namibia) kouboom. The Namibian name is derived from the Nama name of this tree, //khauhais”. The generic name Pappea honours Ludwig Pappe, a botanist who researched plant life in South Africa and who died in Cape Town in 1862. „Jacket plum” or, doppruim” refers to the hard outer skin surrounding the fruit.

The fruit is the tree’s most obvious characteristic. It is a capsule which splits in half when ripe and discloses the seed, which is covered with a thin layer of bright orange fruit flesh. Initially the capsules are velvety green turning brown when ripe and remaining on the tree for a long time after the seeds have fallen (Dec – May). Male and female flowers occur on separate trees.

The leathery, oblong leaves are undulate, have entire margins and distinctly yellowish veins splitting Y-shaped close to the leaf margin. New leaves are copper coloured. This tree coppices freely and young leaves, especially those on such new growth, often have serrate margins.

Jacket-plum trees in Namibia usually reach a height of 3 – 7 m, are single- or multi-stemmed and have a dense crown with a distinct browse line, because the leaves are well liked by game and livestock. New shoots are velvety brown. The stem bark is pale grey, fairly smooth and sometimes has blackish horizontal markings. Without flowers or fruit this tree may at first glance be taken for a fig tree.

Spirally arranged at the tips of the branches, the leaves in arid areas measure about 2,5 – 4 x 0,8 – 1,2 cm. In tropical areas they can be four times as big and the entire tree is much larger and much more lush.

The Jacket plum bears yellowish green, sweetly scented flowers from January to May. The male inflorescence is branched, the female inflorescence unbranched.

The pleasantly tart fruit flesh can be eaten fresh or made into a jelly. A golden yellow oil that does not dry out is prepared from the roasted pips. In days gone by it was used to oil weapons and to make soap. It is edible and was said to prevent baldness and to cure skin eruptions. A root decoction served as purgative for livestock and a potion prepared from the bark was used to treat venereal disease.

Due to its frost and drought resistance and its great adaptability to soil and climatic conditions this tree can be strongly recommended for gardens. Seeds should be harvested before falling to the ground for they are soon infested by insects.