Manilkara dawei

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A medium sized forest tree. It grows 25 m tall. The trunk is fluted at the base. There is gum from the young shoots. The bark is brown and has grooves. The leaves are leathery. They are clustered at the ends of branches. They are 25 cm long and widest near the tip. They are dark green above and silvery white underneath. There are 18-22 clear veins on each side. The stalk is 4 cm long. The flowers occur in groups of 2-4. They are beside the leaves. They are small and white to green. The fruit is a rounded berry. It is white and powdery and hairy. The flesh contains about 9 seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in lowland forest. It Tanzania it grows between 1,100-1,600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Tanzania, Uganda

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten and the seeds rejected.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Fruit are collected from October to December.

Its other names

Local names

Mgambo

Synonyms

Manilkara aubrevillei Sillans; Mimusops dawei Stapf;