Pouteria alnifolia

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A shrub or medium sized tree. It can grow 25 m high. The trunk is 70 cm across. The trunk can be twisted with flutes and small buttresses. The bark is grey, cracked and scaly. The young branches have reddish-brown hairs. The leaves are in spirals. They are simple and entire. The leaf blade is oval and 12-25 cm long by 7-16 cm wide. The leaves can be slightly hairy underneath and have 15-20 pairs of side veins. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves or where leaves have fallen. The fruit are oval berries 1.5-2.5 cm. They turn red when ripe. They have one seed. The seed is narrowly oval and 1.5-2 cm long.

There are about 200 Pouteria species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry forest. In Nigeria it is recorded at 220 and 1,360 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, North America, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, USA, West Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Cafore, Lako, Lalauri, Lixa, Mafaleu, Mgombogombo, Mguoguo, Mlale, Mpange, Msambia-ongwe, Mulale, Ngoma, Nguoguo, Nha-da-haco, Nhenheo, Shamangwi, Ukissig

Synonyms

Chrysophyllum alnifolium Baker; Chrysophyllum ferrugineotomentosum Engl.; Malacantha alnifolia (Baker) Pierre; Malacantha ferrugineotomentosum (Engl.) Engl.; Malacantha heudelotiana Pierre; Malacantha obtusa C. H. Wright; Malacantha sacleuxii Lecomte; Malacantha warneckeana Engl.; Pouteria alnifolia var. alnifolia; Pouteria alnifolia var. sacleuxii (Lecomte) L. Gaut.;