River litchi
Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius subsp. vaughanii

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

A leafy tree. It grows 5-18 m tall. The bark is grey and fairly smooth. It becomes darker and more rough with age. The leaves are alternate and compound. There are 3-7 pairs of thin leaflets. They are 3-11 cm long. Young leaflets are orange to red. They turn pale green. The flowers are yellow to green. They are along loose spike like heads. These are 10 cm long. They occur in the axils of leaves. Trees are separately male and female. The female flower stalks are shorter than the male. The fruit ate yellow to orange capsules. They are oval and 1 cm long. They are covered with short hairs. The flesh is blue. There is one seed.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows near rivers and the edges of forests. It can form thickets. In Tanzania it grows from sea level to 1,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten as a snack.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

In Tanzania fruit are collected from April to June.

Its other names

Local names

Kafulujege, Mbwewe, Mnanyakanda, Mnyanza, Muyanza, Mzindanguruwe, Riangata

Synonyms

Lecaniodiscus vaughanii Dunkley;