Olinia rochetiana (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)

Olinia rochetiana Oliniaceae Indigenous

• Amargna: Beye, Tife
• Oromugna: Delacho, Guna, Nolle, Qadis, Sole adi

A tree distributed in tropical Africa and in the mountains of eastern Transvaal in South Africa. In Ethiopia, it is commonly found in patches of dry evergreen forest and on riverine fringes, in montane Juniperus, Podocarpus, Hagenia and Nuxia forest in Moist and Wet Weyna Dega and Dega agroclimatic zones of Welo, Gonder, Gojam, Wolega, Shoa, Arsi, Bale, Kefa, and Sidamo, 1,200-3,500 m.

Firewood, timber (local houses), farm tools, walking sticks, ornamental, fencing material (cut branches).

Usually a small shrub or tree 4–9 m, occasionally to 20 m.

• BARK: Grey–light brown, smooth or finely grooved, but old trunks with thin yellow flakes. The branchlets clearly 4-angled.
• LEAVES: Opposite, bright red when young, (edge toothed), long oval, to 7 cm long, wider at the tip, blunt or notched, edge rolled under, base narrowed into a short grooved stalk, often pink, underside with fine net of veins.
• FLOWERS: White fading to pink or cream, very small, in dense rounded heads to 5 cm across, shorter than the leaves.
• FRUIT: Thinly fleshy, pink then red-brown when ripe, less than 1 cm, in heavy bunches.

Seedlings, wildings.

Collect fruit when ripe and soft. Can then either be left to dry together with the pulp or the seed can be squeezed out from the fresh drupe and gradually dried. 8,000– 10,000 seed per kg.

• Treatment: Not necessary but soaking in cold water for 24 hours may hasten germination.
• Storage: Can be stored.

Coppicing.