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Accession Data:

Carissa macrocarpa (Eckl.) A.DC..

  • Common Name: Large Num-Num
  • Family: Apocynaceae Juss.

  • Country of Origin: Kenya to SE. Cape Prov.
  • Habitat: sand dunes and edges of coastal forests in Eastern Cape Province

  • Description: A South African shrub used as a hedge or free standing shrub because of its interestingly formed branches and shiny deep-green leaves, offset by white and pink flowers. The plant bears a 2" egg-shaped red fruit that exudes a white astringent latex unless fully ripe. The fruit can be eaten out-of-hand but does make good cranberry-like preserves. It is a salt tolerant plant.
  • USDA Zone: 9-11

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 198500459
  • Source: Unknown
  • Accession Date: 12-31-1985
  • Bench: 1105 - AFR:Ground Bed 1 NW
    • Currently: active - healthy
    • Qty: 1 confirmed on 07-01-2025

Classification:

  • Division: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • SubClass: euasterid I
  • Order: Gentianales
  • SubOrder:
  • Family: Apocynaceae
  • SubFamily: Rauvolfioideae
  • Tribe: Carisseae
  • SubTribe:

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008

References (internal):

    • EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Zaire / Kenya / Mozambique / Zambia / Zimbabwe / Cape Provinces / KwaZulu-Natal / Northern Provinces /

    References (external):

    1. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
    2. California Rare Fruit Growers WWW Site
    3. Encyclopedia of Life. Accessed 22 May 2014
    4. WCSP (2016). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
    5. Image #00 (cropped) & #01 (original) by Forest & Kim Starr [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons. Last accessed on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.

    data regenerated on Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:21:12 -0400 [bcm v4.0]

    Images:

    Carissa macrocarpa

    Additional images for this accession:

    Click on thumbnails to enlarge

    Current Accessions in the Apocynaceae

    Subfamily Apocynoideae
    Tribe Apocyneae

    • Beaumontia grandiflora
    • Trachelospermum jasminoides

    Subfamily Apocynoideae
    Tribe Malouetieae

    • Pachypodium horombense
    • Pachypodium lamerei
    • Pachypodium namaquanum
    • Pachypodium rosulatum

    Subfamily Apocynoideae
    Tribe Mesechiteae

    • Mandevilla sp.

    Subfamily Apocynoideae
    Tribe Nerieae

    • Adenium obesum
    • Adenium socotranum
    • Nerium oleander
    • Strophanthus gratus
    • Strophanthus preussii

    Subfamily Apocynoideae
    Tribe Wrightieae

    • Wrightia sp.

    Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
    Tribe Asclepiadeae

    • Asclepiadinae: Asclepias curassavica
    • Asclepiadinae: Asclepias tuberosa
    • Asclepiadinae: Gomphocarpus fruticosus
    • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum grandidieri W/C
    • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum marnierianum
    • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum pachycladon
    • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum sp.
    • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum verrucosum

    Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
    Tribe Ceropegieae

    • Stapelieae: Caralluma hesperidum
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia albisepta W/C
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia ampliata
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia ampliata
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia aristolochioides
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia cimiciodora
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia fusca
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia x rothii
    • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia stapeliiformis
    • Stapeliinae: Edithcolea grandis
    • Stapeliinae: Hoodia gordonii
    • Stapeliinae: Huernia piersii
    • Stapeliinae: Huernia plowesii
    • Stapeliinae: Huernia thureti var. thureti
    • Stapeliinae: Huernia zebrina
    • Stapeliinae: Larryleachia cactiformis
    • Stapeliinae: Stapelia flavopurpurea
    • Stapeliinae: Stapelia gigantea
    • Stapeliinae: Stapelia grandiflora
    • Stapeliinae: Stapelianthus madagascariensis

    Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
    Tribe Fockeeae

    • Fockea edulis

    Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
    Tribe Marsdenieae

    • Dischidia albiflora
    • Dischidia bengalensis
    • Dischidia litoralis
    • Dischidia major
    • Dischidia ovata
    • Dischidia ruscifolia
    • Hoya australis ssp. australis
    • Hoya carnosa
    • Hoya carnosa x serpens
    • Hoya curtisii
    • Hoya imbricata
    • Hoya imbricata
    • Hoya macgillivrayi
    • Hoya macrophylla
    • Hoya obovata
    • Hoya pubicalyx
    • Hoya retusa
    • Marsdenia floribunda

    Subfamily Periplocoideae
    Tribe Cryptolepideae

    • Cryptostegia grandiflora

    Subfamily Periplocoideae
    Tribe Periploceae

    • Periploca laevigata W/C

    Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
    Tribe Alyxieae

    • Alyxia ruscifolia

    Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
    Tribe Carisseae

    • Acokanthera oppositifolia
    • Carissa macrocarpa

    Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
    Tribe Plumerieae

    • Allamanda cathartica
    • Allamanda schottii
    • Cascabela thevetia
    • Plumeria rubra

    Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
    Tribe Tabernaemontaneae

    • Tabernaemontaninae: Tabernaemontana divaricata
    • Tabernaemontaninae: Tabernaemontana elegans

    Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
    Tribe Vinceae

    • Catharanthus roseus
    • Rauvolfia serpentina
    • Ochrosiinae: Ochrosia elliptica
    W/C = Wild Collected
    = indicates flowering in past 14 days
    = images available for this accession
    = map available for this accession
    = accession added within past 90 days
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