Corkwood umbella tree
Musanga cecropioides

Family: Urticaceae

What it is like

A tree. The trunk is 15 m long and 1.1 m across. The crown is umbrella shaped. The leaves have long stalks. These are 60 cm long. The leaves have 12-15 leaflets in a ring. These are 45 cm long by 10 cm wide. The fruit are fleshy and 10 cm long by 4 cm wide. It is made up of small fruit with a seed in each.

They are also put in the family Cecropiaceae and ?Moraceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows best in sunny locations. In Nigeria it has been recorded at 240 and 1,060 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, Equatorial-Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The bark is added to fermenting sugar cane sap to increase the potency. The fruit is eaten. The sprouts/leaves are cooked as a vegetable. The sap from the aerial root is used as a drink.

The fruit is not very popular.

Edible parts

Fruit, wood - salt, bark - drink, sprouts, leaves

How it is grown

Seeds do not grow easily in garden settings but trees grow naturally from seeds. Seeds are usually sown directly where they are to grow.

It grows very quickly. It is short lived.

Its other names

Local names

Aga, Amonia, Angope, Assan, Asseng, Bokombo, Bossengue, Dwumma, Edjui-kokole, Kode, Kombo, Leseng, Lisseng, Litumbe, Mouin-kaco, Mmoye-pepe, Musagi, Musenga, Nsenga, Ogoken, Senga

Synonyms

Musanga smithii R. Br.;