False iroko, Ako, Sackingtree, Upastree
Antiaris toxicaria

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows 30-45 m high. The trunk is straight and normally only has branches above 25 m high. The trunk can be 180 cm across. There are buttresses 3 m high. The leaves are alternate and simple. The leaves are 6-20 cm long by 3-12 cm wide. There are 1-8 flowers in a group in the axils of leaves. The male and female flowers are separate. The fruit is oval and fleshy. The fruit stalk is large and fleshy. They are 1-1.5 cm long and have 1 seed. The seeds are 7-9 mm long. There are 5 subspecies.

There is only one single variable Antiaris species. There are 5 subspecies. Fruit are larger in African plants.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In West Africa it grows from sea level to 1,800 m altitude. In southern China it grows up to 1,500 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andamans, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, China, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, East Africa, East Timor, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Middle East, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten. Caution: The latex contains chemicals that affect the heart and can be very poisonous.

Edible parts

Fruit, caution

How it is grown

Plants grow from fresh seeds. They grow easily and germinate in 3-13 weeks. Seeds do not store easily.

Trees are fast growing. They reach full size in 20 years.

Its other names

Local names

Binam-ne, Chor chhork, Congoro, Djaulae, Hkan-gowngru, LIngua-di-baca, Malaing, N'nhonhinhe, Nhenhe, Noii, Nucanhe, Pau-bicho, Pau-de-bicho-amarelo, Po-de-bicho-branco, Po-de-bitche, Po-de-lete, Pohon upas, Tambatchilam, Tchime, Tumbuiru, Vaoni, Venboka, Yeyun

Synonyms

Antiaris macrophylla R. Br.; Antiaris africana Engl.;