Greegdan
Dombeya quinqueseta

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 6-12 m tall. The fruit is oval and 5 mm across. The leaves are almost round and can have 3 shallow lobes. The leaves are 12-24 cm long by 10-21 cm wide. They taper to a short tip and there are teeth along the edge. The flowering shoots occur as 2 together on short shoots in the axils of fallen leaves. They are 4-19 cm long. The petals are spreading and white and 1-2 cm long.

There are about 250 Dombeya species. They are mostly in Africa. Chemical composition: Protein (crude) = 6.0% (dry). Fat = 0.1% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 6.3% (dry). Ash = 3.0% (dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 24.3% (dry). Sucrose = 0% (dry). D-Glucose = 26.0% (dry). F-Fructose = 27.9% (dry). Amino acids ((g [16g N- 1]): Aspatic acid = 37.8g. Threonine = 3.0g. Serine = 7.9g. Glutamic acid = 7.9g. Proline = 11.1g. Glycine = 3.7g. Alanine = 3.7g Valine = 3.7g. Cysteine = 0.7g. Methionine = 0.8g. Isoleucine = 3.0g. Leucine = 4.5g. Tyrosine = 1.7g. Phenylalanine = 3.0g Lysine = 2.7g. Histidine = 1.5g. Arginine = 3.0g. Minerals: Sulphur = 0.07% (dry). Potassium = 0.08% (dry). Magnesium = 0.13% (dry). Calcium = 0.26% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 1.50% (dry). Zinc = 21 mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 170 mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 17 mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 8 mg/kg-1 (dry). Some Botanists put the Dombeya in the Byttneriaceae and the Sterculiaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They suit warm and subtropical climates. It grows between 900-1,900 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh. They are also made into a drink. The fruit can be dried and water added again later.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Fruit, bark ash - salt

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Fuyu, Fuyu faya

Synonyms

Assonia huillensis Hiern; Assonia quinqueseta Kuntze; Assonia reticulata Kuntze; Dombeya alascha K. Schum.; Dombeya atacorensis A. Chev. [Invalid]; Dombeya delilei Planch. [Illegitimate]; Dombeya huillensis (Hiern) K. Schum.; Dombeya minor (Endl.) Planch.; Dombeya multiflora (Endl.) Planch.; Dombeya multiflora var. senegalensis (Planch.) Aubrév.; Dombeya multiflora var. vestita K. Schum.; Dombeya quinqueseta var. senegalensis (Planch.) Keay; Dombeya quinqueseta var. vestita (K. Schum.) Bamps; Dombeya reticulata Mast.; Dombeya senegalensis Planch.; Xeropetalum minus Endl.; Xeropetalum multiflorum Endl.; Xeropetalum quinquesetum Delile;