Lannea welwitschii

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 30 m high. It has a straight trunk and it is 2.7 m around. The bark is grey and pitted. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 7-23 cm long and there are 1-4 pairs of leaflets. These are 7-15 cm long by 5-7 cm wide. There is a leaflet at the end. The base is round and they taper to a tip. The flowers are small and yellowish-green. They occur among the leaves in groups 5-20 cm long. The fruit are fleshy and have a stone. The are broadly oval and flattened and black. The fruit hang in clusters.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in evergreen and secondary forests in West Africa. It grows in wet and swampy places. In Ethiopia it grows between 610-1,250 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are used for jam and tarts.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Arim, Ekoa, Jomaeh, Kumanini, Kumbi, Loloti, Muumbu

Synonyms

Calesium welwitschii Hiern; Lannea acidissima A. Chev.; Lannea amaniensis Engl. & K. Krause;