Mespilus germanica or hawthorn, to improve their performance in different soils. "Mespilus germanica" fruits are hard and acidic, but become edible after being softened, 'bletted', by frost, or naturally in storage given sufficient time. Once softening begins, the skin rapidly takes on a wrinkled texture and turns dark brown, and the inside reduces to the consistency and flavour reminiscent of apple sauce. This process can confuse those new to medlars, as a softened fruit looks as if it has spoiled. Once bletted, the fruit can be eaten raw and is often eaten as a dessert, or used to make medlar jelly. They
Boscia foetida axillary racemes or may be reduced to axillary fascicles. They emit a rancid odour, after which the tree is named. Birds may feed on the flowers or use it as nesting material. It produces abundant globose fruit in summer that ripen to a yellowish or pale-brown colour. They have a velvet-textured exterior, as apposed to those of "B. albitrunca", which are smooth. They are about 1 cm in diameter and are eaten by rodents, birds and people. The fruit usually contains a single brown seed. It occurs in Namibia up to the Kunene region, the Northern Cape, central Botswana to