White star-apple, African star apple
Chrysophyllum albidum

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A straight tree. It grows 30-60 m tall. It has a fluted trunk and small buttresses. The crown is dense. The tree has white milky sap. The bark is thin and pale grey-brown. It has a network of zigzag cracks. The leaves are oval and 12-2 cm long. The tip is usually pointed. The under surface of the leaves is white or silvery grey. The under surface of young leaves is golden brown due to soft hairs. The midrib is sunken on the upper surface and prominent below. It has clear side veins. The leaf stalk is 3 cm long. The flowers are cream yellow. They are very small and in dense stalked clusters. They are usually in the axils of the leaves. The fruit are yellow-orange when ripe. They are rounded and 3-7 cm across. They have a sharp tip. The seeds are 2.5 cm long and brown and shiny. They are in a sweet acid edible pulp. The seeds are bean like with one sharp edge. When the fruit is cut crossways the seeds are arranged in a star shape.

There are about 80 Chrysophyllum species. They are mostly in tropical America. There are 44 species in tropical America. The fruit has antioxidant benefits. The correct name may be Gambeya albida

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in lowland rainforest. It suits humid locations. In Nigeria it grows to 1,800 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also used for jam and jellies. They are also used for drinks.

The fruit are sold in local markets. It is an important fruit tree in Nigeria.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds - oil

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. The fruit are collected from the ground after falling and squashed and the pulp removed to get the seeds. Seeds can be stored in a cool dry place. Young plants need shade. Plants can be budded.

Its other names

Local names

Agbalumo, Agwaliba, An-lonko, Ehia, Fira-minike, Tegelei, Teke-kone, Tekene, Teyei, Udala nkiti, Udara

Synonyms

Chrysophyllum henriquesii Engl.; Chrysophyllum kayei S. Moore; Chrysophyllum millenianum Engl.; Gambeya albida (A. DC.) Aubrev. & Pierre; Planchonella albida (G. Don) Baehni;