Sphenocentrum jollyanum
Pierre
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(c) fredesahgui, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Roots, Fruit
Both the fruit and roots are eaten. The roots are acid and bitter when first eaten but cause subsequently consumed foods to taste sweet.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the undergrowth in dense forest in West Africa. It grows from sea level to 400 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an average temperature between 20°-29°C. The average rainfall is 1,800 mm or more.
Africa, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Togo, West Africa,
How to Identify
An erect shrub. It grows 1.4 m high. The fruit is made up of 3-12 fleshy fruit each oval and 26 mm long by 16 mm wide. They are yellow to orange when ripe.
How to Grow
The plant grows in regions with a mean minimum temperature of 20°c and a mean maximum of 29°c. The mean annual rainfall is 1,800mm or more.
Medicinal Uses
The roots have traditional use as a taste modifier for foods.
Other Uses
The roots are used as chewing sticks.
Names & Synonyms
Atoa-ngle, Atuangre, Beague, Buguilago, Sinpa
References (9)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4. Kew.
- Busson, 1965,
- Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 150
- Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 22, 162
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 147
- Uphof,
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
