Tall sterculia
Sterculia appendiculata
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A tall tree. It grows to 40 m tall. The trunk is straight. The first branches can be 15-20 m from the ground. The bark is pale yellow and smooth. The small branches have dense rusty hairs. The leaves are crowded towards the ends of branches. They are broadly oval. They are 14-30 cm long by 14-30 cm wide. The blade is usually divided into 3-7 lobes. The young leaves are densely woolly with yellow hairs. The leaf stalk is 6-11 cm long. The flowers are greenish or yellowish-brown. They are 2.8 cm across. They occur in sprays made up of a few flowers and located near the ends of branches. These are 12 cm long. The fruit have 2-3 carpels. Each of these is 9 cm long by 6 cm wide. They are covered with soft brown hairs. The seeds are up to 2 cm long and brown with a yellow seed coat (aril). They are surrounded by a dry powdery pulp.
Also put in the family Sterculiaceae. An unresolved name in The Plant List.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in forests along the coast and near rivers. In Malawi it grows in the rift valley below 600 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The leaves are cooked and eaten. The seeds are roasted and eaten. They are also roasted the pounded and cooked with vegetables.
Edible parts
Leaves, seeds, vegetable
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from fresh seeds.
In Tanzania the seeds are collected from August to September. Seeds can be stored for several weeks.
Its other names
Local names
M'jali, Metil, Mfune, Mgude, Mjale, Mkunya, Mutilo, Njale, Tile