Antidesma laciniatum

Mull. Arg.

Phyllanthaceae Edible: Leaves, Spice 1 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A shrub or small tree. It can grow 15 m high. One variety is more hairy underneath the leaf. The trunk is usually crooked and branched from near the base. The trunk is 10-35 cm across.

Edible Uses

The leaves of var. membranaceum are used for scenting plates on which meat is served. The fruits are said to be not edible

Traditional Uses

The leaves are used in sauces and as flavouring.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The leaves are used in traditional West African medicine.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in moist deciduous and secondary forest in West Africa. It grows between 200-1,275 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, West Africa,

Cultivation

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Other Uses

The leaves contain around 1.8% (on a dry weight basis) of an essential oil with a sweet, balsamic aroma. The heartwood is yellowish-white; the sapwood a light, creamy-brown. The wood is hard and does not work well. It is used to make tool handles and as poles in traditional house construction.. The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal.