Pouteria altissima

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 40 m tall. The trunk is 1 m across and straight. The crown is spreading. The bark is pale grey and has shallow irregular cracks. The young stems are yellow and hairy. The leaves are 4-16 cm long and 3-6 cm wide. The fruit are 2 cm across. They are red when ripe. The seeds are 1.5 cm long.

It is an at risk plant.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in evergreen rainforest. It suits humid locations. In Nigeria it has been recorded at 600 and 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Nigeria, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten fresh.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Abam, Apotro, Gomu, Nkyay

Synonyms

Aningeria altissima (A. Chev.) Aubrev. & Pellegr.; Hormogyne altissima A. Chev.; Hormogyne gabonensis A. Chev.; Pouteria giordani A. Chev.; Rhamnoluma altissima (A. Chev.) Baehni; Sideroxylon altissimum (A. Chev.) Hutch. & Dalz.; Sideroxylon gabonense (A. Chev.) Lecomte ex Pellegr.;