Feretia apodanthera

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A bushy shrub. It can grow 6 m tall. The branches are winding and twisted. The young bark is red and flaking. It is light brown and cracked when old. Young twigs are hairy. The leaves are small and narrowly oval. They are 4-6 cm long and 2-3 cm wide and have a sharp tip. The leaves occur in flushes. The flowers are white, cream or pink. They are on long thin stalks. They appear together with young leaves at the ends of young branches. The fruit are small black berries with a few seeds. They are 8 mm across.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in savannah bushland. It grows in the Sahel. It is often near rivers and on the edges of water holes. They can be on termite mounds. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, West Africa

How it is used for food

The seeds are roasted and used to make coffee like drinks. The leaves are dried and used as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, seeds, vegetable, seeds - coffee

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bitinamusa, Bouhebehi, Djourasounjala, Mbuguswa, Mourgui

Synonyms

Feretia canthioides Hiern.; Fadogia canthioides Hiern.; Pavetta elliptica Hochst.;