Pentadesma butyracea Sabine

An evergreen tree 25 m tall. The bark is brown and cracked into angular patches. The branches are in rings. The leaves are 10-25 cm long by 3.5-7.5 cm wide. The base is rounded and it tapers to the tip. The flowers are white or greenish-white. They can be 7.5 cm across. Flowers can be single or in groups near the ends of branches. The fruit is oval. It can be 15 cm long by 8.5 cm wide. They contain a few angular seeds in a yellow pulp. There are 3-8 seeds. They are oily.

A tropical plant. It grows in forests often in swampy situations. It grows on river banks and swampy ground. It does best in deep soils and needs a rainfall above 1,000 mm per year.

The seeds are the source of an edible fat. The seeds are eaten when young. The pulp of ripe fruit is edible. (Unripe fruit are bitter)

Plants are grown from seed. Fresh seed must be used. Trees can also be grown from root suckers.