Lecaniodiscus cupanioides
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 10-15 m high. The trunk is 20 cm across. The branches are low and the crown is spreading. The leaves are compound and have alternate leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are oval and taper to a short tip. The flowers have a disk round them.
There are 2 Lecaniodiscus species. They are in Africa.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in small forest clumps in the savannah zone in West Africa. It can be in seasonally flooded forests and along riverbanks.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, West Africa
How it is used for food
The sweet pulp of the fruit is eaten. The flowers are used for preparing aromatic water.
It is fairly commonly eaten in West Africa.
Edible parts
Pulp, aril, fruit, flowers
How it is grown
In Central African Republic flowers have been recorded in March and fruit in May.
Its other names
Local names
Dwindwera, Eika, Kai-nama-zaki, Kringa, Sataga, Ukpo, Utantan