Characteristics
A shrub or small tree. It can grow 5 m tall. The bark is smooth and grey. The leaves are opposite and large. They are dark green above and lighter underneath. They are soft and covered with small hairs. The flowers are white to green and 5 mm long. They are on a branched flower arrangement. The fruit are almost round and 4.5 cm across. They are shiny dark green. Ripe fruit turn greenish brown.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
shrub
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
entomogamy
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
5.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A tropical plant. In Kenya it grows from 10-2,450 m altitude. It can grow as well in open and in shaded areas.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The pulp of the fruit is eaten and the seeds discarded. The fruit pulp is added to milk or water to make a kind of porridge.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
fruits
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds germinate in about 3-4 weeks. Breaking the hard seed coat helps germination. The plant can also be grown from root suckers or cuttings. Trees can be pruned.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
17 - 28
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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