| DESCRIPTION: It is deciduous tree reaching 20-25 m in height, with a girth of 1.5-3 m. The bole is slender and older trees have very small, low, sharp buttresses. In the forest, the crown is fairly small, thin and rounded, becoming flat when old, but it tends to spread when in the open. Flowers are pinkish-cream turning to orange and are densely crowded in spikelike racemes 5-20 cm long. Fruit is very persistent, hanging at the ends of branches on stout stalks 25 cm long. It is shiny, glabrous, dark purple-brown, usually slightly curved, 15-25 cm long by about 5 cm across, with 4 longitudinal, winglike ridges nearly 3 cm broad. USE: The fruit pulp is rich in sugars and may be used in flavouring food. The timber is reddish to brown, fairly hard heartwood and white sapwood. Tannin is obtainable from the fruit pulp. Leaves, bark, roots and the kernels are used for medicinal purposes. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: aidan tree. FURTHER INF: It is common on the fringe of the West African rainforest belt. Trees are widespread in tropical Africa, in forest, especially secondary forest, and they are at their best in the rainforest. The species is found throughout the high forest zone, in riverian forest, in the southern savannah-woodland and in the forest outliers in the African plains. |
