Karonda is a medium-sized, wild, thorny shrub growing gregariously in scrub forests of its habitat from an altitude of 300 to 1800 m. It has a greenish white bark on young shoots and greyish brown on mature stems. The spines are straight and 1-3 cm long. At times, these are also forked. Its leaves are opposite, generally 2-3 cm x 1-1.5 cm, and ovate. They are green with shine above and a dull green shade below. Old leaves keep shedding throughout the year. New buds also keep sprouting through the year, though more during spring.Karonda flowers from February to June. The flowers are white and scented. The corymbose cymes appear at the ends of twigs. Children at times suck the base of the calyx of individual florets for it has traces of nectar.The fruit is a globose berry. It appears from March to August and ripens between May and December. Raw fruit is green while the ripe one is purple to shining black, depending on the state of ripening. These are full of sweet, though slightly acidic, juice when fully ripe.
