Need Help Identifying Tree

[DuncanYoung]

Found this tree with fruit growing wild in a clump of bamboo.  Fruit about 2.5 inches in diameter.  Need help identifying.  Thanks

[murraystevena2]

At first I thought you had a calabash tree Crescentia cujete, but the flowers don't look right. After doing a little bit more research I think you have some species of Strychnos. It is probably the spiny monkey orange Strychnos spinosa, but as being a strychnos species I would be very careful with it because the common poison strychnine is derived from a related species. I would wait until the fruit ripen and do a bit more research but I think you are the owner or a Monkey Orange! Seeds are poisonous but the flesh should be good(some species the seeds are safe), I would take another photo later on when the fruit are nice and ripe and ask jackfruitwisper for more advice on it(I hear he has more experience with stychnos sp). Flowers and leaves and fruit match the genus.

[murraystevena2]

Let me say also say that monkey oranges are supposed to be the best tasting of all southern african native fruits, I wonder how a seed got into your bamboo I would still be careful just in case its other species of strychnos too. Fruit are supposed to also be variable.

[DuncanYoung]

Thanks for your help in having a name for this tree.  It is growing in a thick clump of 100 year old bamboo, trying to find it's way to daylight.  Don't know how it got there?  Tossed into clump as a fruit or came in as a seed with the bamboo?  Either way, bamboo is being bulldozed down to make room for more Edward mangos!  Didn't know whether to save this tree or let it go with bamboo.  Thanks

[murraystevena2]

There are very few fruiting monkey oranges in the US(I don't know of anyone that has fruiting plants), so it might be something special. Did the bamboo come from africa? If you are taking it out, someone might be willing to buy it, since its such a rarity.

[Roy-Ind]

I agree with MS
It is Strychnos spinosa
Please keep the tree
Identification will be complete when the fruit is ripe.

Roy

[DuncanYoung]

Ok, I will try to save the tree from the dozer, and will collect seeds when ripe.

[murraystevena2]

It would be really cool if you could take some photos of the ripe fruit and what it looks like inside(also would help a final definate ID). I would be interested in some seeds when its ripe myself or a ripe fruit if possible, since my plants are all way too young to fruit. They supposedly have an increadably long shelf life and are not affected by fruitflies unless open due to their thick shell.