Sand apple
Parinari congensis

Family: Chrysobalanaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 30 m high. The trunk is 80 cm across. The trunk us irregular and twisted. The leaves are dark green on the upper surface. They have reddish-golden hairs underneath. They are heart shaped at the base. The fruit is oval and fleshy. It is about 4 cm long.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on the riverbanks near forests of the savannah in West Africa. It can be in seasonally flooded forests.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial-Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw.

It is fairly commonly used in West Africa.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Adabut, Kotosoma, Monse, Pekire, Tulingi

Synonyms

Parinari subcordata Oliv.;