Eru
Gnetum africanum

Family: Gnetaceae

What it is like

A woody climber. It can be 10 m long. The branches are thickened at the nodes. It is an evergreen plant. Plants are separately male and female. The leaf stalks are 1 cm long. The leaves are narrowly oval and opposite. They are simple. They taper to a short tip. They are 10-13 cm long by 4-5 cm wide. The male flowering shoot has male flowers close together and evenly spaced. The female flowering shoots have 2-3 flowers at each node and are 2 mm long. The seeds are fleshing and 10-15 mm long by 4-8 mm wide They have a fleshy envelope around them that turned orange or red when ripe.

There are about 28-35 Gnetum species. It is a significant source of protein (16.5% dry wt.) carbohydrates (70.6% dry wt.), essential amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine), non essential amino acids (aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, proline,glycine, alanine, cysteine, tyrosine histidine and arginine) and mineral constituents i.e. macro and micro-elements (7.0% dry wt.).

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the rain-forest in West Africa. It can be found from sea level to 1,200 m above sea level. It grows in areas with a rainfall of about 3,000 mm. It needs shade to grow well.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Gabon, Mozambique, Nigeria, West Africa

How it is used for food

The young leaves are eaten raw or cooked and are also used in sauces. The leaves can be tough and can be softened with leaves such as Talinum. The leaves can be shredded and dried and stored for later use. The seeds and fruit are eaten. They can be stored for 8 months or longer.

It is an important and commonly eaten vegetable in Africa. It is sold in markets. Up to 4,000 tons are exported to Nigeria and dried to overseas markets. It is an endangered plant due to excessive harvesting from the wild. Dried leaves are available in stores in Australia.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds, fruit, nuts, vegetable

How it is grown

Seeds are hard to get to grow. Germination can take 12 months. Leafy stem cuttings can be used.

It is possible to harvest leaves 2-3 times per year. Vines should preferably not be damaged in the process. Plants probably can last 10 years.

Its other names

Local names

Afang, Ajakobale, Anoh, Coco, Eru, Eruru, Fumbwa, Koko, Mfumbwa, Nkoko, Nkoumou, Nkumu, Okasi, Okazi, Okok

Synonyms

Thoa africana (Welw.) Doweld;