Neocarya macrophylla
(Sabine) Prance ex F. White
Gingerbread plum
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(c) Leoš Smutný a Antonín Horáček, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Leoš Smutný a Antonín Horáček
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Luke Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A bush or small tree. It grows 10 m high. The trunk is gnarled. The crown is round and bushy. The branches have a dense grey covering when young. The leaves are broad. They have a grey covering underneath. The fruit are oval and 5 cm long. The pulp is edible.
Edible Uses
The oval 5 cm fruits are eaten fresh, boiled with cereals, or crushed into juice drinks. The kernels are roasted and eaten.
Traditional Uses
The fruit is eaten fresh. They are also boiled with cereals. They can be crushed to make a juice drink. The kernels are roasted and eaten.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
A decoction of the bark, leaves or dried fruit pulp is commonly used as a mouthwash, and to treat toothache. The leaves are also chewed or applied topically for the same reason. A lotion made from the macerated bark is used as an eyewash to soothe inflamed eyes. A decoction of the bark or leaves is taken internally for treating respiratory troubles. The powdered bark is applied externally to bring relief over areas of deep-seated pain. The root is haemostatic. The powdered root is combined with Securidaca longepedunculata and used as an antidote to poison. The root is powdered then decocted in water to be used as a gargle against toothache. It is applied externally as a cicitrisant on wounds, being used especially when the penis is circumcised. A fruit-decoction is taken against diarrhoea. The endocarp bears within it a layer of hairs which are held to be anthelmintic in children. Because they tend to stick in the gullet, the hairs are administered with a ripe banana taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The endocarp is sometimes sold in local markets as a vermifuge for taking with milk or better still with a banana. Hospital tests have shown evidence of effectiveness against helminths. In this treatment the endocarpic hairs were placed in capsules for ease of swallowing. The hairs have been shown to contain ceryl palmitate.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in sandy locations scattered along West Africa. It can be near banks of sandy seasonal watercourses and on sandstone cliffs. It can survive burning in savannah zones.
Where It Grows
Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, West Africa, West Indies,
Cultivation
The tree fruits all year round in some areas. The tree appears to survive annual fires when growing in the savannah.
Other Uses
The rind from the fruit is aromatic. It is used to impart a pleasant smell to ointments. Before it reaches maturity, fishermen obtain a sticky substance from the fruit which they use for smearing on their tackle and to stop cracks in leaking pots. The endocarp bears within it a layer of hairs which can be used for tinder. The kernel contains up to 62% of a drying oil known as 'neou oil'. An excellent drying oil, it is composed of oleic acid 40%, eleostearic acid 31 %, linoleic acid 15%, palmitic acid 12% and stearic acid 2%. Neou oil finds local use, mixed with palm-oil, as a pleasant-smelling body-unguent. The kernel has been recorded as containing 62% oil, while 9% has been found in the endocarp. The nut is burnt to ash and is used in making soap. The light brown wood is fairly hard, it works and polishes well. It is used for boards, construction, canoes etc. The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal.
Production
Fruit can be available all year round.
Other Information
Its popularity varies. It is cultivated in some places.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds flour | 10.6 | — | — | 20.4 | — | — | — | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Bansuma, Bate, Beel, Benobeno, Bio, Bitiague, Bu bita, Bufangha, Bu nafay, Cura-bussuma, Curanaco, Gamsa, Gawasa, M'bute, Mampatace-grande, Maveu, Menai, N'djapo, Nando, Naudi, Naudo, Ndawei, New, Noronorodo, Nororodo, Nya, Nyau, Orodjo, Quio, Tamankumba, Tamba, Tamba-cumba, Tambacumba, Tehe, Umbatu, Wo
References (30)
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- Ayantunde, A. A., et al, 2009, Uses of Local Plant Species by Agropastoralists in South-western Niger. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. Vol. 7: 53-66
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