Galiniera saxifraga (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)

Galiniera saxifraga (G. coffeoides) Rubiaceae Indigenous

• Amargna: Solie, Yetota Buna
• Oromugna: Adamo, Didu, Mito, Sarbandai
• Sidamigna: Daujicho, Seghede

A very common small tree growing in a wide range of habitats in semi‑humid and humid highland Celtis, Juniperus, Polyscias and Podocarpus forests as well as in mountain woodlands. It performs well in Moist and Wet Weyna Dega, Dega and Wurch agroclimatic zones in most regions, 1,500—3,000 m.

Firewood, timber (construction), mulch.

A shrub or tree to 12 m, the crown thin but rounded. Branches grow out in whorls from the trunk. They are long and thin, hanging down with regular rows of large opposite leaves. Where leaves arise there are typical triangular leafy growths 1 cm long—the stipules.

• LEAVES: Shiny oval to 6 x 20 cm, the tip clearly pointed, on a hairy stalk about 2 cm long. More than 10 pairs of veins curve to the leaf edge and they are clearly hairy below.
• FLOWERS: Small, white and fragrant, like coffee flowers, on branched hairy stalks about 3 cm long in leaf axils.
• FRUIT: Bunches of green berries ripen to red, each 5–10 mm, containing 2–4 seeds.

Seedlings, wildings.

Pruning, lopping.