Sterculia Brown
Sterculia rhinopetala
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A large tree. It grows to 40 m high and is 4 m around the trunk. It has buttresses that can be 3 m high. The bark is grey-brown and flakes into small squares. The small branches have red hairs when young. The leaves are 10-30 cm long by 3-16 cm wide. They are oblong and rounded at the base. The stalks are 3-11 cm long. The fruit are made up of 4-5 brown, boat shaped cells. Each one is 5-7 cm long. The seeds are enclosed in red arils or seed covering. The fruit split along the top side to expose the seeds. There are 8 seeds.
Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowland rainforest. It suits humid locations. It suits drier types of forest.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Togo, West Africa
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit, wood ash - salt
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds. They germinate in 10 days. It germinates in the dark but then needs sunlight to grow.
Its other names
Local names
Aye, Bulembo, Lotofa, Nkanang, Nkanga, Ogiokoko, Orodo, Wawabimma