Zambezi Almond, Mugongo Nut
Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows to 25-40 m tall. It has a very straight trunk and this is 1 m across. It sometimes has short buttresses at the base. Young trees have branches in layers which curve upwards. Small branches are 1 cm thick and densely brown and hairy when young. The young bark is grey-brown, thin and smooth. It becomes dark and scaly later. The leaves are compound leaves with 3-6 leaflets like fingers. The central leaflet is largest and is 10-30 cm long. The leaflet tip is long and pointed. The leaflets narrow towards the base. The stalk of the leaflets is very short. At the base of the leaf there are fan shaped leafy stipules. The edges of these are deeply toothed. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. There are 5 petals and 5 sepals and they are united in a tube. The flowers are green to yellow and small. The male heads are 15-30 cm long while the female heads are 6-10 cm and more dense. The fruit is a capsule. They are 4-5 cm across. The fruit have 2-3 lobes and are green to yellow. The fruit are slightly fleshy and smell of rotten apples. They contain 2-3 red to brown seeds. The seeds are 1 cm long and flattened. The capsule breaks open scattering the seed.

Where it is found

A tropical tree. It grows in rainforests in Africa. It suits humid locations. It needs light to grow so grows in gaps in the forest. It also grows in dry lowland forests. In Tanzania it grows between 100-1,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo R, East Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nigeria, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten cooked. They are also pounded and the powder used for porridge in times of food shortage. They can also be used for edible oil. They are pounded, boiled and cooled and the floating oil skimmed off, boiled and filtered then used for cooking.

Edible parts

Nuts, seeds, oil

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seeds can be collected from the ground from capsules which have burst open. The seed should be soaked in cold water for 24 hours to help them grow more quickly.

It is a fast growing plant. In Tanzania fruit are collected from October to December. The dried seeds can be stored for several months. In Central African Republic plants have flowered in March and fruited in November.

Its other names

Local names

Corkwood tree, Erimado, Manketti Nut, Monguela, Munguela

Synonyms

Ricinodendron africanum Muell. Arg.; Ricinodendron gracilius Mildbr.;