Blighia welwitschii

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 30-50 m high. The trunk is straight. It has a dense crown. Plants are separately male and female. Flowers are in small panicles. The fruit are pear shaped and with 3 parts. They are 4-8 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They are orange to red when ripe. There can be 3 seeds in each section. The seeds are narrowly oval and 2-3 cm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the forest zone in West Africa. In Uganda it grows up to 1,150 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The young leaves are used to flavour soup. Caution: The aril probably needs to be very ripe and in sunlight. If unripe they are probably toxic.

Edible parts

Leaves - flavouring, fruit, aril, caution

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bate, Bolo, Boso, Boloko, Botoko, Bowso, Buba, Buwa, Bwalu nkusu, Engbangbaye, Inshi, Kamberanguhu, Kibambi, Kote, Luinda, Mbaka, Mbongendo, Maiyo-sundo, Mukusuku, Musanda, Ngekajusu, Ngondakea, Nkusu nkusu, Nofua, Oloko, Ongende, Onkom, Sabawoi, Toko, Ukpe, Wiligbise

Synonyms

Phialodiscus welwitschii Hiern;