Water-pear

Syzygium guineense, the water-pear or waterberry, is a medium to large evergreen or semi-deciduous tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), broadly distributed across tropical Africa from Senegal and Ethiopia south to South Africa and Madagascar, where it occupies riverine forest, woodland, and montane forest from sea level to over 2400 meters. The species is taxonomically variable and several subspecies (subsp. guineense, subsp. afromontanum, subsp. macrocarpum, subsp. barotsense) are recognised. Mature trees commonly reach 15-30 meters with a straight bole bearing rough, longitudinally fissured, pale grey to brown bark and a dense, dark-green, often spreading crown. Leaves are opposite, simple, elliptic to oblanceolate, 6-18 cm long, leathery, glabrous, with a fine intramarginal vein and many translucent gland dots visible against light. Inflorescences are terminal or subterminal corymbose panicles bearing many creamy-white fragrant flowers with four small petals and a showy mass of long white stamens up to 1 cm long. Fruits are ellipsoid to globose fleshy berries 1-2 cm across, ripening dark purple to almost black, edible and sweetish-astringent.