Bush mango, Sunbird tree
Cordyla africana
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
It is a large tree. It grows up to 22 m tall. The trunk can be 1.2 m across. The branches spread widely. The bark is greyish brown and has furrows along it. The leaves are divided once. They are 25 cm long with about 9-12 pairs of leaflets with one at the end. The leaflets are 2.5-4 cm long. They are dark green and smooth. There are dots which let light through scattered over the leaf surface. The flowers occur in small sprays in the axils of leaves. The flowers face upwards and are filled with nectar. The fruit is a yellow fleshy succulent fruit. It is about 4 cm long and oval. It has a leathery skin and 1-8 seeds inside. The seeds are embedded in the sticky flesh. The fruit are edible.
There are 5 Cordyla species. The fruit pulp is rich in Vitamin C.
Where it is found
A tropical tree. It grows in low altitudes in hot areas. It is often in swamp forest and along rivers. It grows between 10-900 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Gambia, Guinea, Guinée, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten raw and fresh or cooked. Caution: The fruit can cause giddiness. The nectar if the flower is eaten. The seeds are dried then eaten.
The fruit has little taste. It is high in Vitamin C.
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds, flowers - nectar
How it is grown
Trees can be grown from fresh seeds.
In Tanzania ripe fruit are collected during November and December.
Its other names
Local names
Imbubuli, Mbachanga, Mgwata, Mndundu, Mpachama, Mroma, Mtondo, Mufondo, Mutondo, Thunzikhulu, Tondo, Umbubuli, Vovovo