Temple plant
Crateva adansonii

Family: Capparaceae

What it is like

A shrub 1-4 m high. It can grow 20 m tall. It has a wide spreading crown. The trunk is stout and often twisted. The bark is pale brown. The leaves have 3 leaflets. These have blunt tips. The leaves are 5-10 cm long. The flowers are white and occur in dense masses. The papery white petals are all on one side of the flower. The fruit are green at first but become yellow when mature. The fruit are 2.5-5 cm across. The seeds are edible.

There are 9 Crateva species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on land subject to temporary flooding and on the banks of streams. It occurs in savannah country. It is very drought tolerant. It grows in the Sahel. In East Africa it grows between 600-1,400 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Reunion, Rwanda, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The young fruits and flowers are edible. The fruit are cooked. The leaves are popular as food. They are also used for flavouring. The seeds are occasionally eaten.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bado, Bun adanson, Bun trai-do, Chelum punga, Eegun-orun, Eiyoroit, Kaech, Koleonik, Leyley, Nagarida, Po-de-bola, Ungududu

Synonyms

Crateva religiosa AUCTT. non Forster f.;