Rough skinned plum, Guinea plum
Parinari excelsa

Family: Chrysobalanaceae

What it is like

A large evergreen tree. It grows to 50 m high. The trunk is 1.5 m across. It has buttresses. The branches have a cottony covering. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are 5-10 cm long by 2.5-5 cm wide. The flowers are pink and white. They have a sweet smell. Fruit are oval and 6 cm long by 4 cm wide. They are red-brown and have a warty surface. This is hard and woody. There are 1-2 seeds per stone.

There are about 50 Parinari species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in forest and along river banks. It can be in savannah or palm groves. It grows from the lowlands to 1,000 m altitude in West Africa. In East Africa it grows to 2,400 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Amazon, Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Colombia, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South America, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The unripe fruit are eaten after long preparation. The ripe fruit can be eaten or cut up and dried and boiled with peanut sauce. They are also fermented. The kernel is roasted and then mixed with other foods. The bark is roasted and used to flavour palm wine.

Fruit are sold in markets. The fruit are especially eaten by children. It is considered an important fruit tree.

Edible parts

Nuts, fruit, kernel, seed - oil

How it is grown

Trees are grown from seed.

In Tanzania fruit are collected from August to March. In Sierra Leone fruit are between June and December.

Its other names

Local names

Aiamoradan, Am-bis, Asila akoung, Atchaguesse, Bal-le, Banga, Bionai, Bitchalam, Bokohoton, Bu fujay, Bussol, Bu wel, Cura, Curanaco, Esagko, Foungouti, Grey plum, Guari, Ijakere, Inyi, Jaraguacaba, Kankenom, Kein, Koa, Koin, Kola, Kpar, Kure, Kwalo, Lut, Machende a nguluwe, Makara-yek, Mampara, Mampata, Mampatace, Mampatas, Mampataz, Mampato, Mantchoul, Mbula, Meile, Merecurillo, Mgama, Mganda, Minquela, Minquelma, Mkanjula, Msaula, Mubura, Mulanga, Mulatana, Mupundu wa muhulu, Muula, Naudi, N'djano, N'tchalame, Ndawa, Ndawei, Nguluwe, Nheg-cuneme, Pile, Quein, Roffin-plom, Rosenkwarie, Suge, Uchirana, Uchi de tambagui, Uguene, Ukenom, Undiano, Wokere besoerie

Synonyms

Ferolia amazonica Kuntze [Invalid]; Ferolia excelsa (Sabine) Kuntze; Parinari amazonica Mart. ex Hook.f. [Invalid]; Parinari brachystachya Bentham; Parinari caillei A. Chev.; Parinari elliottii Engl.; Parinari excelsa var. caillei A. Chev.; Parinari excelsa var. fulvescens Engl.; Parinari excelsa subsp. holstii (Engl.) R. A. Graham; Parinari glazioviana Warming; Parinari holstii Engl.; Parinari laxiflora Ducke; Parinari laxiflora var. lata Ducke; Parinari liberica Engl. ex Mildbr. [Invalid]; Parinari mildbraedii Engl.; Parinari nalaensis De Wild.; Parinari riparia R. E. Fr.; Parinari silvestris M. Kuhlm.; Parinari sylvestris Kuhlmann; Parinari tenuifolia A. Chev.; Parinari whytei Engl.; Parinarium excelsum Sabine; ? Petrocarya excelsa Ducke;