Salt and Oil tree
Cleistopholis patens

Family: Annonaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows up to 27 m high. The trunk can be 3 m across. The branches are horizontal. The leaves are very glossy and elongated. They are in 2 rows. The leaves are 10-25 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are leathery. There are 10-15 pairs of thin curving veins. The flowers are greenish-yellow. A few flowers occur in a cluster in the axils of leaves. The fruit are long and spread out from one point. They are 2.5 cm long by 1.2 mm thick. They are woody and have 2 seeds.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It often grows near water. It is often in swamp forests but can be in drier areas.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. It is fast growing.

Its other names

Local names

Am-bobel, Am-bok, Apako, Bontole, Fubamane, Igbo, Ijaw, Karakil-keng, Lupo, Moigbamei, Ojo, Otu, Pipagha, Siopiando

Synonyms

Cleistopholis brevipetala Exell; Cleistopholis klaineana Peirre ex Engl. & Diels; Cleistopholis patens var. klaineana Pellegr.; Cleistopholis pynaertii De Wild.; Cleistopholis verschuerenii De Wild.;