Dialium holtzii

Harms

Mpepeta

Fabaceae Edible: Fruit

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Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Dialium holtzii is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found in Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

Description

A tree. It grows 20 m tall. The crown has a medium spread. The trunk is straight and it has small buttresses. The bark is grey-brown and smooth. The leaves are compound with an odd number of leaflets. There are 11-15 leaflets. The leaf blade is 3-7 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The flowers are cream. The fruit are dark brown. They have a brittle outer coat. The pulp is red. There are 1 or 2 round brown seeds.

Edible Uses

The red pulp of the fruit is used for porridge, eaten like chewing gum, or made into a drink by peeling and soaking ripe fruit in warm water, then squeezing, adding sugar, and filtering. The seeds are discarded.

Traditional Uses

The pulp of the fruit is used for porridge. The white pulp of the fruit is eaten like chewing gum. The seeds are discarded. The ripe fruit are peeled and soaked in warm water then squeezed and sugar added then filtered to make a drink.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows along rivers and in dry lowland forests. In Tanzania it grows from sea level to 500 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Other Uses

The wood is brown with darker streaks. It is very hard and heavy. It is used for poles in construction, tool handles, dhow ribs and grain mortars. The wood is used for fuel and is made into charcoal.

Production

Dried fruit can be kept for over 2 years. Fruit are collected from June to September in Tanzania.

Notes

Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Also Known As

M'babede, Mhetele, M'pepete, Mshila, Pepete

References (6)

East African Herbarium records, 1981,
Lovett, J. C. et al, Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania. p 77
Maundu, P. et al, 1999, Traditional Food Plants of Kenya. National Museum of Kenya. 288p
Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 122

Show all 6 references