Mkani, Msambo
Allanblackia stuhlmannii

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 35 m tall. The trunk is cylinder shape with buttresses near the base. The bark is smooth and dark grey. The branches droop and are hollow. They have wrinkles along them. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 5-20 cm long by 1-7 cm wide. They are leathery and dark green and taper to a short tip. Trees are separately male and female. The flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves. They are also crowded near the ends of branches. The fruit is a long or cone shaped berry. It is 16-34 cm long by 15-17 cm wide. They contain 60-140 seeds. The seeds have 4 angles. They are 4 cm long by 2-3 cm wide.

Guttiferae/Clusiaceae are mostly confined to the tropics and subtropics. The oil is considered a functional food.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In Tanzania trees grow between 800-1,200 m altitude. The temperature range is 25°C - 35°C.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Central America, Costa Rica, East Africa, Tanzania (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The oil is edible and used in cooking and as a substitute for butter. The seeds of mature fruit are dried in the sun and then pounded and cooked to extract the oil-fat. The slimy jelly like pulp is used for jam making.

The edible oil is used locally and traded. The seeds are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Seeds, seeds - oil, fruit

How it is grown

Although trees can be grown from seeds, it is better to take cuttings (or air layers) from female trees. These can form roots in 8-12 weeks.

Trees flower when about 12 years old. Fruit take more than a year to develop and mature. A fruit weighs 2.5-6 kg. A mature tree can produce 150 fruit in one year. This yields 50 kg of fat. Dried seeds can be stored for several months.

Its other names

Local names

Mkange, Mkani, Mkanye, Mkimbo, Msambu, Mwaka

Synonyms

Allanblackia sacleuxii Hua;