Rhaphiostylis beninensis

Family: Icacinaceae

What it is like

A twining shrub. It grows 2 m tall but can grow to a tree 10 m tall. It can be a woody climber. The bark is smooth and dark grey. Young branches are dark purple. The leaf blade is 7-15 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. It is dark glossy green but paler underneath. It is narrowly sword shaped. Many flowers occur in a group. They have a sweet scent. The petals are white. The fruit is wrinkled. It is red when ripe.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in closed forest in West Africa. It is common on sandy loam. It grows in forests along river banks. In Nigeria it is recorded at about 1,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves

How it is grown

In Central African Republic flowers have been recorded in January.

Its other names

Local names

Bogdrobo, Buru tiangol, Kpe-kpe, Lushila, Lusyila

Synonyms

Apodytes beninensis Hook. f. ex Hook.; Ptychopetalum cuspidatum R. E. Fr.;