Carissa bispinosa
Carissa bispinosa, commonly known as the Natal Plum, is a resilient, evergreen shrub native to southern Africa. Renowned for its glossy foliage and striking white flowers, it produces edible, vitamin-rich red fruits. Beyond its ornamental appeal, this hardy plant holds significant medicinal value and serves as excellent protective hedging.
- Scientific name: Carissa bispinosa
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianales and the family Apocynaceae, it is classified under the genus Carissa.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Apocynaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Carissa | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Carissa bispinosa, is known by several different common names depending on the language and region. In Arabic, it is referred to as كاريس ثنائي الشوك, while in Persian, it is called کاریسا بیسپینوسا. In Chinese, it is identified by the names 双刺假虎刺, 双刺假虎刺, and 双刺假虎刺 across the zh, zh-hans, and zh-cn language codes respectively.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ar | كاريس ثنائي الشوك | Wikidata |
| fa | کاریسا بیسپینوسا | Wikidata |
| zh | 双刺假虎刺 | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 双刺假虎刺 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 双刺假虎刺 | Wikidata |
| af | Noemnoem | Wikidata |
| zh | 刺李 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed across several regions within the African continent. In East Tropical Africa, it can be found growing in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Moving toward the southern portion of the continent, its range extends into South Tropical Africa. Specifically, it is documented to inhabit the countries of Malawi and Mozambique. This diverse range demonstrates the plant's ability to thrive in various tropical environments.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Malawi | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Mozambique | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zimbabwe | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Botswana | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Cape Provinces | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Namibia | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | KwaZulu-Natal | WCVP |
Activities
Carissa bispinosa has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant.
- Total activities
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Carissa bispinosa has 4 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus.
- Total uses
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Enterococcus faecalis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |