Pouteria pierrei

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 40 m high. The trunk is 1.2 m across. It does not have branches until 25 m up the trunk. The trunk is straight and cylinder shaped with buttresses near the base. These can be 3 m high. The leaves are simple and entire and arranged in spirals. The leaves are densely hairy underneath. The leaves are oval and 8-15 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. The side veins are orange coloured. The flowers are in groups in the axils of the fallen leaves. The flower stalks are hairy and 3 cm long. The fruit are round berries 1.5-2 cm long. They turn red when ripe. They are finely hairy. The seeds are oval and 1.3 cm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in rainforest. It suits humid locations. It also grows in semi-deciduous forest.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. Seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks.

Seedlings grow slowly. In Sierra Leone fruit are ripe in February and March.

Its other names

Local names

Abam, Aningueri, Aningeria, Inon, Mondongue, Samfena, Teyei, Tolongo, Valui, Vao-muli

Synonyms

Aningeria pierrei (A. Chev.) Aubrev. & Pellegr.; Aningeria robusta (A. Chev.) Aubrev. et Pellegr.; Hormogyne pierrei A. Chev.; Malacantha robusta A. Chev.; Pouteria aningeri Baehni; Rhamnoluma robusta (A. Chev.) Baehni;