White stinkwood, Common celtis
Celtis africana

Family: Cannabaceae

What it is like

A tall tree. It grows 10-30 m high. It loses its leaves during the year. The trunk is stout. It has small buttresses near the base. The bark is smooth and grey. The wood has an unpleasant smell. The leaves in spring are soft green and then become dark green. The flowers are small and yellow. The fruit are small and round. They are 5-8 mm across and softly hairy. They are yellow or orange.

Also put in the family Ulmaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in mountain forest. In Malawi it grows between 750-2,200 m altitude. It is drought resistant. It is resistant to frost. It is often in rocky places and near rivers. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Arabia, Australia, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Kenya, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit have a small amount of flesh that can be eaten raw. The leaves are used as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit

How it is grown

It is easily grown from fresh seeds. It is best to collect seeds from the tree as they are less likely to be damaged by insects. Seeds germinate within 8-30 days.

It grows quickly. It grows 2 m per year. A fruit weighs about 0.2 g.

Its other names

Local names

Dhawashya, Kamutuna, Liklolo lelikhulu, Liklolo, Luvhambo, Metekoma, Mugara, Muguru, Mukonachando, Mulcherandore, Mumvumvu, Musvutaderere, Pohon kayu putih afrika, Qawo, Umdlawuthu, Umvumvu, Upi, Witstinkhout

Synonyms

Celtis durandii auct. non Engl.; Celtis kraussiana Bernh.; Celtis rhamnifolia C. Presl.;