Macrosphyra longistyla

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or woody creeper. It has long arching stems. They can be 4 m long. The flowers are yellow and white and have a strong scent.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in damp depressions in waste places in secondary jungle along the coastal regions of West Africa. In Nigeria it has been recorded up to 1,440 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The pulp of the fruit is eaten. The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Banetetu, Banitfebi, Camafi, Kalale, Kosafine, Kukuri nanego, Kulale, Makalino, Marrume, N'bine, Sirinha, Tepobo, Um-orocado-nudanto

Synonyms

Randia longistyla DC.;