West African Ebony
Diospyros elliotii

Family: Ebenaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 10 m high. The trunk can be 1.3 m around. The bark is smooth and dark brown. The flowers are white. The fruit are orange-yellow. They are round. They are produced on the older parts of the stem below the leaves.

There are about 485 species of Diospyros mostly in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in swamp forest in West Africa. It grows in woodland and along river banks.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Akpa, Bu parnab, Ulele

Synonyms

Maba elliotii Hiern; Maba mannii Hiern; not Diospyros manni Hiern.;