Rhodognaphalon mossambicense
(A. Robyns) A. Robyns
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Graeme White, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Graeme White
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Graeme White, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Bart Wursten, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaRhodognaphalon mossambicense, the East African bombax or wild kapok tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It occurs from southeastern Kenya through the coastal and Eastern Arc forests of Tanzania to northern Mozambique and Malawi. Its seeds are roasted and eaten, either whole or pounded into a powder which is then used in cooking.
Description
A tree. It grows 15 m tall. The branches are densely hairy. The leaves have 5-7 leaflets. They are hairy. The leaflets are 5-9.5 cm long by 2-3.5 cm wide. The base is wedge shaped and they taper to a blunt tip. The flowers are in groups of 2 towards the ends of branches. They are white.
Edible Uses
The seeds are eaten.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania,
Notes
In the subfamily Bombacoideae.
Synonyms
References (1)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
