Panda
Panda oleosa
Family: Pandaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 15-30 m high. The trunk is 80 cm across. It can have short buttresses. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are 10-20 cm long by 5-9 cm wide. The flowers are red. The fruit are 4-5 cm across. They are green to pale yellow. The flesh is a reddish-orange. The seeds are encased in a hard shell. There are 3 openings each with a seed bent at right angles.
There is only one Panda species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in the rain-forest as an under-storey tree. It is also along rivers and in seasonally flooded land.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo, West Africa
How it is used for food
The oil from the seeds is used in cooking. The seeds are crushed and used as a spice. The seeds are cooked and eaten and pounded and added to soups, sauces and stews.
Edible parts
Seeds, seeds - oil, seeds - spice,fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. They do not germinate easily. They may take 10 months to 4 years to germinate.
It grows slowly. The stones of the fruit are difficult to open. In Central African Republic flowers have been observed in February.
Its other names
Local names
Afane, Angele, Awua, Bakale, Binigogongbia, Kana, Kokroboba, Kone, Leteko, Likale, Likele, Lopha, Makamu, Mbando, Mfanda, Nkana, Okale, Pendo