Neolemonniera clitandrifolia

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A large tree. It grows 35 m tall. The trunk is 80 cm across. It has buttresses 3 m high. The leaves are in spirals and near the end of branches. The leaves are simple and entire. They are broadly oval and 5-15 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They are wedge shaped at the base and tape to the tip. The flowers are in groups in the axils of the leaves. The fruit are capsules that hand down. They are 7-8 cm across. They have one seed. The seeds are 3.5 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. They are brown and shiny.

There are 5 Neolemonniera species. They grow in West Africa.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is rare and in humid rain-forests often on rocky outcrops.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, West Africa

How it is used for food

The pulp of the fruit is edible but the latex makes them very sticky. The seeds provide an oil that tastes like coconut oil.

Edible parts

Seeds - oil, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

In Sierra Leone trees flower in April and May and the fruit are ripe just before the onset of the rains.

Its other names

Local names

Kako, Mahr-chu

Synonyms

Sideroxylon aylmeri Scott;