Octolobus spectabilis
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 10 m tall. The trunk can be 15 cm across. The small branches are hairy. The leaves are alternate, simple and entire. The leaf blade is 6-24 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. They are round or wedge shaped at the base and taper to the tip. The flowers occur singly and are yellow. Flowers can have both sexes or just be male. The fruit has 10-65 almost round follicles. The fruit are 5 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. They are reddish-brown with 2-7 seeds.
There are 3 Octolobus species. They are like Cola. Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the undergrowth in dry forest. It can occur up to 1,000 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, West Africa
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Seeds
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seeds.