Craterispermum laurinum

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 7 m tall. The leaves are simple, entire and opposite. The leaf blade is broadly oval and 10-20 cm long by 4-9 cm wide. The leaves narrow towards the base. The flowers are in groups near the axils of the leaves. The flowers are yellow or white and have a waxy covering inside the funnel shaped tube. The fruit are fleshy and 5 mm across. They are blue to black with one seed inside.

It accumulates aluminium and silicon from the soil.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests, thickets and along river banks and in palm groves. In Nigeria it is recorded at 1,440 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Togo, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The bark is considered sweet and edible.

Edible parts

Bark

How it is grown

It is easily grown from cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Famio, Hazombary, Landam-edi

Synonyms

Canthium laurinum (Poir.) Roberty; Coffea laurina Poir.; Craterispermum schweinfurthii Hiern.;