Combretum fragrans

F. Hoffm.

Combretaceae Edible: Leaves, Fruit, Gum 66 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Description

A shrub. It loses its leaves during the year. It can grow up to 12 m tall. The leaves are opposite and oval. They are 7-18 cm long. They are scaly and sticky underneath when young. The flowers have a scent. They appear before the leaves. They are small and in spikes 7 cm long. The fruit are rounded and yellow-brown. They are 3 cm long and have 4 wings. Young fruit are red and sticky.

Edible Uses

The leaves, fruit, and gum are all edible portions.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It can grow in seasonally waterlogged soils. It is often in shallow and stony soils. It can grow in woodland and semi-desert. It grows between 50-1,700 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from fresh seeds. The wings are rubbed off. It can be cut back and will re-grow.

Production

Plants grow slowly.

Notes

Probably now Combretum adenogonium;

Synonyms

Combretum ghasalense Engl. & Diels

Also Known As

Buski, Gulmema, Hajef, Merhad, Shaf, Shuf, Tenkeleba

References (3)

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Vol. 1.
Le Houerou, H. N., (Ed.), 1980, Browse in Africa. The current state of knowledge. International Livestock Centre for Africa, Ethiopia. p 162
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 10th April 2011]