Hexalobus monopetalus

(A. Rich.) Engl. et Diels

Shakama plum

Annonaceae Edible: Fruit, Nuts, Seeds, Leaves 531 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Hexalobus monopetalus is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae with the common name baboon's breakfast. It is native to Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire and Zimbabwe. Achille Richard, the French botanist who first formally described the species, using the basionym Uvaria monopetala, named it after its petals which are fused at their base.

Description

A shrub or tree which loses its leaves during the year. In tropical regions it grows 12 m tall. It is shorter in cooler regions. The young branches are covered with brown hairs. The leaves are oval and 4-10 cm long. They are carried one after the other on opposite sides of the stalk and have short stalks. The flower buds grow in the axils of leaves. These buds are fat, golden brown and velvety and remain after the leaves fall. These develop into pale yellow almost stalkless flowers. The flower petals are narrow and very crinkled. The fruit are 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. They are oblong with irregular bulges. They are scarlet with a netted appearance and have green veins. The flesh is dark red when ripe. They are juicy and edible.

Edible Uses

The juicy, pleasant-tasting fruits are eaten raw, dried, or made into jam. The edible portions include the fruit, nuts, seeds, and leaves, with fruits particularly available during drier seasons.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw. The have a pleasant flavour. They can be dried. They are also used for jam.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Bioactive molecules extracted from its fruit have been reported to have antifungal activity in test with Candida albicans.

Distribution

It grows in tropical and warm places. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in low altitude bush and scrub. It is often on rocky hillsides. It grows in savannah places. It can grow in arid places. In Zimbabwe it grows between 870-1,360 m above sea level. In Tanzania it grows between 900-1,500 m above sea level and in areas with a rainfall between 750-1,300 mm. It can grow in a range of soils.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

It can be grown from fresh seed.

Other Uses

The bark yields a fibre which is commonly used for cordage. The reddish wood is strong, tough and very durable332]. It is valued in many areas for poles in hut-building, and the wood for chair-legs, tool-handles, bows, spoons, gunstocks and carvings. The wood is used for fuel.

Production

In Tanzania fruit are collected between January and April.

Other Information

Fruit are eaten especially by children. It is fairly commonly used in West Africa. Fruit tend to be available in the drier more hungry season.

Synonyms

Uvaria monopetala A. Rich.Hexalobus glabrescens Hutch. & Dalz. ex Burtt DavyHexalobus senegalensis A. DC.

Also Known As

Baboon’s breakfast, Bacure, Bohili, Boile, Boili, Canje, Kikundukundu, Kungumali, Mambumba, Mfiwi, Mfyuwi, Mkungu mwali, Mkungumwale, Mkuwa, Moheteka, Mosedika, Mowedika, Muhodzongwa, Mukorongwa, Mukundukundu, Mukwingiziri, Munyani, Mupodzongo, Muhuhuma, Musakama, Mushakame, Mwezi, Nshakama, Nxakama, Shakamapruim Tapirco, Tubulubum, Vougagne, Winsouin

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