Bastard onion wood, Lesser onionwood
Cassipourea congoensis

Family: Rhizophoraceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 3-4 m high. It can be 20 m high. The bark is light grey to brown and smooth. It becomes dark grey and rough with age. The trunk is straight and slender. The branches are flat and spread out. The leaves vary in size and shape. They can be oval or round and 2-3 cm long but can also be 14 cm long and narrow. They are light green when young and become dark green and glossy when mature. They are leathery. The side veins are sunken on both surfaces. The edges have slightly hooked teeth. The edges are wavy. The leaf stalk is 8 mm long. The flowers are yellow or green. They are 10 mm across. They occur in tight clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a berry-like capsule. It is oval and 10 mm long. There is a thin layer of orange flesh when young. They become black and dry.

There are 62 Cassipourea species. There are 8 species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows at the edges of and in evergreen forest. It can be in savannah woodland and palm groves. In Zimbabwe it grows between 750-2,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, pulp, aril

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Katiti, Muncanka

Synonyms

Cassipourea congoensis sensu auct.; Cassipourea elliotii (Engl.) Alston; Cassipourea gerrardii (Schinz) Alston; Weithea africana;