Slippery kola
Cola verticillata
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A medium sized tree. It grows up to 24 m high. The trunk is straight. They bark is brown with cracks along it. The small branches have a waxy coating. The leaves are simple and usually in rings of 4. The leaves are 10-25 cm long and 3.5-9 cm wide. They are sword shaped and taper to the tip. They are leathery and dark green. The flowers are arranged in rings. They are in the axils of leaves and are hairy. The fruit are made up of 5 cells. These are nearly at right angles to the stem. They are green or brown and shiny. They are 20 cm long by 9 cm wide. There are 6-8 seeds. These are covered with a white skin.
Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in lowland rain-forest near streams. In Nigeria it is recorded at 1,440 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Benin, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo, West Africa
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Seeds
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Abidoo, Goh, Owé cola, Owe kola, Senbiel, Woba