Wild frangipani, Voacanga
Voacanga thouarsii

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows up to 15 m tall. The leaves are crowded towards the ends of branches. Leaves are leathery and opposite. There is one pair at right angles to the next. Leaves are 8-16 cm long and 2.5-5.5 cm wide. They are broadly sword shaped. The tips are usually broadly rounded and the base narrowed. Leaves are shiny green above and duller beneath. The small stipules or leaf like structures are united into a small flap between the leaves. The flowers can be 5 cm across. They have 5 broadly fleshy overlapping twisted petals. The flowers occur in flower heads at the ends of branches. The fruit are usually in pairs and like 2 green cricket balls joined together. Each part is round and 7-9 cm across. The fruit have mottles of white or yellow on them. The seeds are grooved and yellow. The fruit are edible.

There are 12 Voacanga species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in coastal forests. It is often in marshy soils. It grows on the edge of evergreen forest and in swamp forest. It grows from sea level to 600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Annularia natalensis Hochst.; Piptolaena dregei (E. Mey.) A DC., Voacanga dregei E.Mey.; and others