Pouteria adolfi-friedericii subsp. australis

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tall tree. It grows 50 m tall. The trunk is clear and straight for about 16 m. The crown is small and dense. Mature trees can have buttresses at the base. The bark is pale grey and smooth. There are golden-brown hairs on shoots and flowers. The leaves are large and stiff. They are 22 cm long by 8 cm wide. They are dark green above and have pale orange hairs underneath. There are 10-20 pairs of veins. The flowers are cream to green coloured. They are very small and in clusters beside the leaves. The fruit are hard and green. They are narrow and 4 cm long. There is one shiny brown seed. It is 3 cm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in upland rainforest. It suits humid locations. In Tanzania it grows between 1,430-2,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania

How it is used for food

Ripe fruit are sweet and eaten raw. The seeds are pounded, boiled and the liquid filtered off. The oil floats to the top and is skimmed off and used for cooking.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds - oil

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed.

In Tanzania fruit are collected from January to June.

Its other names

Local names

Kuti, Mkuti, Mwale, Mwengele

Synonyms

Aningeria adolfi-friedericii subsp. australis J. H. Hemsl.;