Ripe fruit of Adenia fruticosa subsp. fruticosa acquire this orange colour. The fruit capsule has three to four sections, each of which contains three to six flattish, disc-like, pitted seeds.

The plant belongs to the Passifloraceae (granadilla or passion fruit) family that occurs widespread in warm climate regions on earth. The flower structure of Passifloraceae plants were said to represent images of the implements of the crucifixion.

Three of the eleven or twelve genera in the family are found in the subtropical parts of South Africa, viz. Adenia, Basananthe and Tryphostemma.

Adenia from the Greek denotes a glandular enlargement (Germishuizen and Fabian, 1982; Letty, 1962).