**2.2 Botanical nomenclature and synonymy**

*C. spinarum* is the currently accepted name of the species. It is listed in World Flora Online [29] as having 98 synonymic botanical names. The genus *Carissa* is described as having significant inter- and intra-species variation [30] and this, along with its wide geographic distribution, may contribute to its numerous botanical synonyms. The key synonyms that appear in the ethnobotanical literature are *C. spinarum* L. (accepted name), *C. edulis* (Forssk. Vahl.) (Sub-Saharan Africa), *C. opaca* Stapf ex Haines (India and Pakistan), *C. congesta* Wight (India), *C. xylopicron* Thouars (Mauritius) and *C. lanceolata* R.Br. (Australia). As a heterogeneous species, there are disagreements around plant identification, naming and synonymy with the added problem of misspellings. The complexities in the naming of *C. spinarum* carry through in all subsequent study findings as described in best-practice documents [31–33].
