Bush butter tree, African-pear
Dacryodes edulis

Family: Burseraceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to about 20 m high. The trunk is 1.5 m around. The trunk is usually straight for the first 10 m and does not have buttresses. The bark is grey-brown. It flakes off in irregular thin woody scales. The leaves are in tufts near the ends of branches. The leaves have stout stalks. These are 15-45 cm long. There are 6-8 pairs of leaflets. The middle leaflets are 11-22 cm long by 3.5-6 cm wide. Trees are separately male or female. The flowers are 6 mm across. They have short stout stalks. The flowers are clustered at the ends of branches. Dense rust coloured hairs cover the whole flower group. The fruit are oval and 6 cm long by 3.5 cm wide. They hang in clusters in stout stalks. The fruit are pink but then turn bright blue and nearly black. The pulp smells of turpentine. There is a leathery shelled stone inside.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It occurs naturally in forest. It grows from sea level to 1,000 m altitude. It can grow in high and low rainfall areas. It suits the dry savannah.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The pulp is eaten after softening in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. They can also be roasted. The fruit can be preserved by removing the seed, boiling the pulp then drying it.

An important fruit tree in Cameroon and Nigeria. Fruit are sold in local markets. They are exported. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Seeds, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed should be sown within one week. Seeds germinate about 2 weeks after planting. Air layering is possible and enables trees of known sex to be chosen. The layers take 6 months before being ready to remove. 5% of the trees in an area should be male. Plants can be budded.

Early plant growth is rapid. Growth occurs in flushes. Both male and female trees are needed for fruit. Fruit are produced after 5-6 years when grown from seeds. Fruit matures about 5 months after flowering. A mature tree can produce over 100 kg of fruit each year.

Its other names

Local names

Ajong, Assa, Assamingoum, Atanga, Bosau, Bukobe, Che, Ekiep, Eleme, Elemi, Lukoshi, Lupele, Mubafo, N'bafo, Nsafu, Olem, Sa, Safou, Safoutier, Safu, Sau, Sene, Sesemu, Tchou, Ube igbo, Ube mbu, Youom

Synonyms

Canarium edule (G. Don) Hook. f.; Canarium mansfeldianum Engl.; Canarium mubafo Ficalho; Canarium saphu Engl.; Dacryodes edulis var. parvicarpa Okafor; Pachylobus edulis G. Don; Pachylobus saphu (Engl.) Engl.;