Treculia africana

Treculia africana is a tree species in the genus Treculia which can be used as a food plant and for various other traditional uses. The fruit are hard and fibrous, can be the size of a volleyball and weight up to 8.5 kg (19 lb). Chimpanzees have been observed to use tools to break the fruit into small pieces that they can eat. Chimpanzees have also been observed sharing slightly alcoholic overripe breadfruit as social bonding. The fruit contain polyphenols.

Description

An evergreen tree. It grows to 15-30 m tall. It can grow up to 50 m tall. It has a dense spreading crown. The trunk is fluted. The bark is dark grey and smooth. It is thick and produces a white latex when cut. This later turns rusty red. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are very large. Leaves can be 30 cm by 14 cm or larger. They are dark green and smooth above but paler and slightly hairy underneath. The leaves are tough. They have 10-18 pairs of clear veins. The leaf stalk is 1.5 cm long and the leaf tip is pointed. Young leaves are red or yellow. The flower heads are rounded ad a yellow-brown. They are 2.5 to 10 cm across. Male and female flowers are usually separate. Flowers can grow in the axils of leaves or on older wood down to the trunk. The fruit is a compound fruit. It is rounded and very large. It can be 30-45 cm across. It grows on the trunk and main branches. Inside there are many orange seeds about 1 cm across. They are in a spongy pulp. The outer fruit surface is covered with pointy growths.

Edible Uses

The seed is cooked and has a flavour similar to peanuts. Seeds can be eaten as dessert nuts after roasting or boiling, or ground into a meal for use in soups and baked foods such as bread and paste. Seeds are extracted by macerating the fruit in water. The seeds have an excellent polyvalent dietetic value — their protein biological value exceeds even that of soybeans. Each massive fruit can weigh up to 14 kilograms and contains numerous seeds of about 8mm in length. A non-alcoholic beverage resembling almond milk can be prepared from the powdered seeds and is recommended as a breakfast drink in Nigeria. An edible oil can also be extracted from the seed.

Traditional Uses

The seeds can be dried, fried and eaten. They are also boiled, roasted or ground into flour. The flour is used in soups and nut milk. An edible oil can be extracted from the seeds.

Medicinal Uses

In Ghana, a root decoction is used as an anthelmintic and febrifuge. The caustic sap of the male tree is applied to decayed teeth for toothache relief. A bark decoction is used for coughs and whooping cough. Ground bark mixed with oil and other plant material is applied to treat swellings. The bark is also used in the treatment of leprosy and as a laxative.

Known Hazards

The sap of the male tree is caustic and toxic, though the sap from female trees is used medicinally.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It suits hot, tropical lowland climates. It grows in forests near rivers. It can grow in swampy areas. It grows from sea level up to 1500 m in Uganda or 1,200 m in Tanzania.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Australia, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia,

Cultivation

It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,250 - 3,000mm, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 22 - 35°c. Prefers a rich, deep, moisture-retentive soil and a position in partial shade or full sun. It is not a very light demanding plant, and will grow in a wide variety of soils. Plants start to fruit when about 4 years old. Under favourable climatic conditions and in a good soil, 120 - 200 kilos of dried grains can be harvested in a year from each tree; this would translate to between 5 - 10 tonnes per hectare. A fairly fast-growing tree. There is a striking variation in the number of fruit heads produced by trees belonging to T. Africana var. africana (with large fruit heads) and T. Africana var. inversa (with small fruit heads). The former is clearly superior in the weight of seeds produced while the latter produces more fruit and also produces twice as many branches. Bloom Color: Cream/Tan. Spacing: 8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m).

Propagation

Propagate by sowing seedlings in pots or by direct spot sowing at the planting site. Pre-treatment of seeds is not necessary. The plant can also be propagated by budding, cuttings, and shield grafting. Budded trees using adult scions have produced fruits with viable seeds within 2–4 years. Juvenile cuttings achieve a rooting rate of around 69%. Where climatic conditions are suitable, fruit collection is possible throughout the year.

Other Uses

The tree is used in soil conservation programmes, and its leaf fall provides useful mulch. It has been recommended for home gardens and intercropping systems in agroforestry. The heartwood is yellow with very narrow pale sapwood; the wood is very dense, fairly elastic and flexible, rather heavy, with a fine, even structure. It is suitable for furniture, carving, turnery, and inlay work, as well as for pulp and papermaking. The wood is also used as fuel and for making charcoal.

Production

The tree is fairly fast growing. A fruit can weigh 12 kg.

Other Information

A useful village tree in Africa. Fruit are sold in local markets. It is less popular than breadfruit but is high in protein and comparable to seeded breadfruit. It is available when food is short.

Notes

There are 3 Treculia species.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Afon, Bala, Barafuta, Becuae, Bombimbo, Bongo, Buloio, Busaka, Bushingu, Ediang, Edikang, Etoup, Eyo, Fusa, Guibinte, Guilinte, Ize, Lepuha, Limbimbo, Lyaja, Maja, Majaja, Mant-champudje, Mantchambe, Mantchambo, Maya, Mbusa, Mfeseni-pori, Mjaya, Mjaya, Mozinda, Muloli, Mululu, Mutchaia, Muzinda, Mwaya, N'sempe, Nduku, Njale, Njayi, Nsungi, Oimbo, Oimo, Okwa, Ombimbo, Opiso, Poussa, Pusa, Pushia, Pusia, Pusio, Sele, Selese, Senhe, Sobsob, Tchaia, Toum, Tsongo, Ukwa, Yaya, Zilo

References (55)

• Akinola, R., et al, 2020, A Review of Indigenous Food Crops in Africa and the Implications for more Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3493;
• Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. se. 3, 8:108, t. 3. 1847
• Atato, A., et al, 2010, Diversity of Edible Wild Fruit Tree Species of Togo. Global Science Books.
• Awodoyin, R.O., Olubode, O.S., Ogbu, J.U., Balogun, R.B., Nwawuisi, J.U. and Orji, K.O., 2015, Indigenous Fruit Trees of Tropical Africa: Status, Opportunity for Development and Biodiversity Management. Agricultural Sciences, 6, 31-41
• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 419

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