Chytranthus obliquinervis
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A small tree. It grows 15 m tall. The trunk has few branches but then a crown of very large leaves. The bark is grey to brown and smooth. The leaves have an odd number of leaflets. There are 7-12 pairs. The leaf stalk is 35-100 cm long. The lower leaflets are small and about 2 cm long while the upper leaflets can be 45 cm long. The flowers are on clusters on the trunk. They are 5-15 cm long. They are white to a yellow green. The fruit is fleshy and has 3 lobes. It is softly hairy when young.
It is a rare species only occurring in a few places.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in lowland forest. It can be on sand or coral and along rivers. It grows from sea level to 900 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are collected and eaten raw as a snack.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed.
Fruit are collected from May to June.
Its other names
Local names
Mpwakapwaka