Monotes africanus

A. DC.

Dipterocarpaceae

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What to Eat

Edible parts: ?, Medicine

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Africa, Angola, Congo DR, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A shrub or small tree. It grows 8 m tall. The leaves are 5-10 cm long by 2.5-5.5 cm wide. The flowering shoots are 1.5-3 cm long and in the axils of leaves. The fruit are 1-1.5 cm across. They have wings.

How to Grow

Found in the wild on all kinds of soils, sometimes dominant and forming pure stands on compact heavy soils.

Medicinal Uses

Used medicinally in traditional practice.

Other Uses

The wood of Monotes species is generally of poor shape and too small to be of much use apart from locally, where it is valued for its hardness and generally good durability The wood is used for poles and tool handles. The wood is used for fuel.

Notes

Possibly food for an edible insect.

Names & Synonyms

Monotes rufotomentosus Gilg.Vatica africana Welw. & Kirk ex A. DC.

References (2)

Meragelman K, McKee T, Boyd M (2001). Anti-HIV prenylated flavonoids from Monotes africanus. J. Nat. Prod. 64:546-548.
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew