Feretia apodanthera

Delile

Rubiaceae Edible: Leaves, Fruit, Seeds, Vegetable, Seeds - coffee 52 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Feretia apodanthera is a species of tree in the family Rubiaceae. It was first described by Delile in 1843.

Description

A bushy shrub. It can grow 6 m tall. The branches are winding and twisted. The young bark is red and flaking. It is light brown and cracked when old. Young twigs are hairy. The leaves are small and narrowly oval. They are 4-6 cm long and 2-3 cm wide and have a sharp tip. The leaves occur in flushes. The flowers are white, cream or pink. They are on long thin stalks. They appear together with young leaves at the ends of young branches. The fruit are small black berries with a few seeds. They are 8 mm across.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. The red fleshy pulp of ripe fruit is eaten raw as a snack and, especially by herdsmen and children, are used for quenching hunger and thirst. The roasted fruit is used as a substitute for coffee. (Should this be the seed?) The dried leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

Traditional Uses

The seeds are roasted and used to make coffee like drinks. The leaves are dried and used as a vegetable.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, syphilis and leprosy. An infusion is drunk to treat stomach-ache. The powder obtained from pounded roots is used to treat wounds. The fruit is crushed with water and used as an antidote to snake bites.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in savannah bushland. It grows in the Sahel. It is often near rivers and on the edges of water holes. They can be on termite mounds. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, West Africa,

Cultivation

Often found on clay soils in the wild, and also found in soils subject to seasonal inundation. The subspecies F. Apodanthera tanzaniensis has larger fruits than subsp keniensis.

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings.

Other Uses

The fruits are occasionally used as a cosmetic. Used as a cosmetic face mask. Combined with indigo (Indigifera spp.), they are used for making markings on the face. The whirled branches are used as swizzle sticks for mixing drinks. The tree is used for making live fences.

Synonyms

Feretia canthioides Hiern.Fadogia canthioides Hiern.Pavetta elliptica Hochst.

Also Known As

Bitinamusa, Bouhebehi, Djourasounjala, Mbuguswa, Mourgui

References (14)

Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 41
Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4. Kew.
Diarra, N. et al, 2016, Etude ethnobotanique des plantes alimentaires utilisées en période de soudure dans les régions Sud du Mali. Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 10(1): 184-197
Gilbert, T., et al, 2017, Diversity and local transformation of indigenous edible fruits in sahelian domain of Cameroon. Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences Vol. 26 (2): 5289-5300
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 27

Show all 14 references

Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 561
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 78, 136
Le Houerou, H. N., (Ed.), 1980, Browse in Africa. The current state of knowledge. International Livestock Centre for Africa, Ethiopia. p 163
Martin, F. W., et al, 1987, Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics. USDA Handbook 642 p 76
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 216
Maydell, H. von, 1990, Trees and shrubs of the Sahel: their characteristics and uses. Margraf. p 269
Mpasiwakomu, R. A., 2017, The Diversity and Utilization of Wild Edible and Medicinal Plant Species found in Uvinza Miombo Woodlands, Tanzania. M. Sc. thesis University of Tanzania.
Vivien, J., & Faure, J.J., 1996, Fruitiers Sauvages d'Afrique. Especes du Cameroun. CTA p 281
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew