Star chestnut
Sterculia setigera

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 16 m high. It has small buttresses at the base. The trunk is 1.5 m around. It loses its leaves during the year. The bark is grey and flakes off in oblong pieces leaving a light coloured bark underneath. The leaves have 3-5 lobes spread out like fingers on a hand. The leaf stalks are 8 cm long. The leaves are velvety with hairs on both surfaces. Trees are separately male and female. The flowers are dull red or yellowish-green. They are in small groups on last year's shoots. The fruit form 3-5 boat shaped parts. There are about 12 seeds in each section. The layer around the seeds is yellow.

Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dry deciduous savannah woodland. It is often along river-banks. It grows in the Sahel. It can grow in arid places. It can grow in poor soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The seeds are used as a famine food. The gum is used in food preparations. It is soluble in water and used to bind sauces.

The leaves are only occasionally eaten.

Edible parts

Seeds, gum, leaves, flower

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

The gum is tapped by carving the trees at the beginning of the rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Adhiak, Baroot, Bobori, Boggo, Faider, Hogorec, Jobitabae, Jobitabo, Karaya gum tree, Kongosira, Kukuki, Kumendur, Laloo mbeb, Ohuroi, Posemporgo, Sugubo, Tartar, Telieh

Synonyms

Sterculia cinerea A. Rich.; Sterculia tomentosa Guill. & Perr.;