Heisteria parvifolia
Family: Erythropalaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It is 14 m high. It can grow to 20-25 m high. The trunk can be 50-60 cm across. It keeps its leaves throughout the year. The young twigs are slightly zigzag and have wings. The leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper surface. They are dull green underneath. The leaves are oval and taper to a short tip. The fruit have a red calyx or fleshy layer around it that is divided into five parts. The fruit contain a single seed.
There are 33 Heisteria species in tropical America. Previously in the Olacaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in the under-storey of evergreen and deciduous forests in West Africa. It grows in forests along rivers. It can be in seasonally flooded forest.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial-Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, West Africa
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten raw.
Edible parts
Nuts, fruit, seeds
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Bonikya, Bosolo soku, Esamoko, Kla tehh, Komou-alie, Sikakyia, Vounk