Aframomum letestuanum
Family: Zingiberaceae
What it is like
A ginger family herb. It grows 3-5 m tall. The leaves are narrowly oval and 50 cm long by 9 cm wide. They are heart shaped or ear shaped at the base and taper to the tip. The flowering stalk is 50-100 cm tall and it has flowers occur singly towards the top. The petals are pale red. The fruit are red and on stalks about 1 m long. These branch off near ground level. The fruit are 8-11 cm long by 2 cm wide. The fruit have a white portion around the seeds. The seeds are an irregular shape and 2.5 mm by 2 mm. They are dark brown and have lines along them.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in open spaces in the forest with sunlight occurring. It grows between 1,100-1,300 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo R, Congo DR, Gabon, Uganda
How it is used for food
The fruit are edible.
Edible parts
Seeds - spice, fruit