Santiria trimera

Family: Burseraceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows to 30 m high. The trunk is 1 m across. It has stilt roots. The bark smells strongly of turpentine. The leaves are without hairs. The leaves are compound with 3 pairs of leaflets and one leaflet at the end. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are fleshy and 2-2.5 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. The ripe fruit are black. There is one seed.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It often grows between 800-1000 m altitude. In Nigeria it has been recorded at 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The seed is oily and is eaten. The fruit quality varies and some taste of turpentine. Others are attractive

It is a cultivated food plant. Fruit are sold in markets.

Edible parts

Seeds, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

An-thanka, Damzin, Damzon, Domboe, Ebap, Ebo, Gologolo, Kafe, Libaba, Poba, Toab

Synonyms

Dacryodes trimera (Oliv.) H. J. Lam.; Pachylobus trimera (Oliv.) Gillaum.; Pachylobus balsamiflora (Oliv.) Guillaumin; Santiria balsamiferaOliv.; and several others