Mufungo
Anisophyllea boehmii
Family: Anisophylleaceae
What it is like
An evergreen shrub or tree. It can grow 10 m high. The trunk is short and crooked. The young branches are bright red. The crown is round and heavy. The bark becomes cracked and flaky. The leaves and thin and leathery. There are fine hairs on both sides. The leaf blade is 5-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They are usually oval. The flowers are bisexual and have 4-5 flower parts. They are cream coloured. The fruit is 3.5 cm long by 2 cm wide. They are narrowly oval and edible. They are red coloured.
It has also been put in the family Rhizophoraceae.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows on sandy or corky soils in woodland. It grows at about 1,300 m altitude. It grows in Miombo woodland. In Tanzania it grow between 900-1,100 m above sea level in areas with 800-1,000 mm rainfall.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Congo, Congo DR, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The flesh of the ripe fruit is eaten but not the seeds.
Fruit are occasionally sold in local markets.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
It can be grown from seeds but seeds are difficult to germinate. It can be grown from root suckers.
Fruit are collected between April and June in Tanzania.
Its other names
Local names
Kifukufuku, Lusindwi, Mnemvi, Mnyemvi, Mshindwi, Mufungo, Mufungu, Umushindwi, Umusindwe