Ochna afzelii

Family: Ochnaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 12 m high. The bark is smooth and brown. The leaves are 5-7.5 cm long by 2-4.5 cm wide. They are pale green and glossy. There are fine teeth along the edge. The flowers are white. The flowers are in clusters of about 6. They all arise from the end of a short shoot. The fruit are 2 cm across. They are black.

There are 90 Ochna species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs in savannah country. It grows between 900-1,650 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten fresh as salad.

Edible parts

Berries, fruit, leaves

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or cuttings of young branches.

Its other names

Local names

Awotso, Fanam, Kidimbi, Kilumba, Kunya-kume, Musengu, Okoli, Omagwuolo

Synonyms

Ochna ituriensis De Wild.; Ochna rhodesica R. E. Fr.; Ochnella afzelii (R. Br. ex Oliv.) Van Tiegh;