Monkey apple
Anisophyllea laurina

Family: Anisophylleaceae

What it is like

A shrub or tree. It grows 5-16 m high. The leaves are small, alternate and sword shaped. They are 7-15 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. The side veins are at right angles to the midrib and parallel. The flowers have 4 large fleshy petals. The flowers are small and greenish. They are on spikes in the axils of the leaves. The fruit are yellow but become red on the sunny side.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in secondary jungle often in upland areas in West Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, West Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are used for preserves.

The fruit is attractive and sold in markets.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

It can be cut back and will regenerate from the roots.

In Sierra Leone flowering is November to December and fruit ripen April to May. There are 240 dried fruit per kilogram.

Its other names

Local names

Angueidja, Budjagala, Cantingui, Edoconhe, Ka-kants, Kandi, Kandii, Kanosi, Kanse, Kansi, Kanti, Kantii, Kendi, Kense, Kenth-la, Mafel, Mafele, Mandjagala, Miseria, Monki-apul, N'sump, Pau-miseria, Po-de-miseria, Senhe, Unsununtu

Synonyms

Anisophyllea fissipetala Engl. & Brehmer; Anisophyllea strychnoides Engl. & Brehmer;