Vitex grandifolia

Gurke

Supowa

Lamiaceae Edible: Fruit Potential hazards — see below 4 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A tree. It grows to 25 m high. The trunk is 1.2 m across. The leaves are opposite and compound. There are 5 leaflets spread out like fingers on a hand. These are 12-30 cm long by 10-15 cm wide. The end in a sharp point. The fruit is fleshy with a stone inside. The fruit is 2 cm long and there are 1-2 seeds per stone.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten raw and fermented to make an alcoholic drink.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw. They are also used to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

In traditional medicine the bark is used as a stomachic and to treat diarrhoea, bronchial complaints, rickets, sores and fever. The leaves are used in medications against colic, infections of the umbilical cord, toothache, rheumatism and orchitis. A tea made from the fruits is drunk as a tonic.

Known Hazards

Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is an understorey tree in the lowland evergreen forest.

Where It Grows

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seed germinate after 2-3 months.

Propagation

Seed - germination rates are usually good, with up to 90% of the seeds sprouting within 2 - 3 months of being sown.

Other Uses

The black juice exuding from leaves heated over a fire has been used as ink. The heartwood is whitish to pale brown, darkening on exposure to brown, and indistinctly demarcated from the sapwood. The grain is usually straight; texture medium. The wood is moderately durable and reportedly resistant to termite attack, though the sapwood is susceptible to Lyctus beetle attack. It is easy to saw and work with hand and machine tools; it generally planes to a smooth surface and finishes well, it nails well without splitting. Veneer of good quality can be produced. The wood is used on a local scale for light construction, drums and canoe seats. It is suitable for light flooring, joinery, interior trim, furniture, cabinet work, toys, novelties, shipbuilding, vehicle bodies, agricultural implements, boxes, crates, veneer, plywood and pulpwood.

Notes

Also put in the family Verbenaceae.

Also Known As

Evoula, Fulu, Lokoubo, Mvule, Nom angona, Ori, Ogikhimi

References (15)

Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 48
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 18:169. 1894
Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.
Busson, 1965,
Codjia, J. T. C., et al, 2003, Diversity and local valorisation of vegetal edible products in Benin. Cahiers Agricultures 12:1-12

Show all 15 references

Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 168
JSTOR Global Plants edible
Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2008. Vitex grandifolia Gürke. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Louppe, D., Oteng-Amoako, A.A. & Brink, M. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 23 October 2009
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 199
Unwin, A. H., 1920, West African Forests and Forestry. Fisher Unwin Ltd. pdf on Internet p 69
Vascular Plants of Korup National Park. korupplants.myspecies.info
Vivien, J. & Faure, J.J., 1985, Abres des forets dense d'Afrique Centrale. Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique. Paris. p 480
Vivien, J., & Faure, J.J., 1996, Fruitiers Sauvages d'Afrique. Especes du Cameroun. CTA p 361
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew