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Dovyalis caffra
KEI APPLE
Salicaceae family
ESE South Africa (coastal)
Forming a thick dense and tall shrub, Dovyalis caffra produces an edible fruit similar to a nectarine. The thorns are very long and dangerous (dovyalis - a Greek word meaning spear) and thus this shrub has been used to corral livestock as well for protective hedges. First introduced in England in 1838 it has since spread worldwide. During the infestation of the Mediterranean fruit fly in the early 1980s kei apple was on the list of fruit trees most favored by the Ceratitis capitata.
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