Sterculia tragacantha

Lindl.

African tragacanth, Gum tragacanth

Malvaceae Edible: Leaves, Vegetable, Gum, Seeds 25 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A tree. It grows to 26 m high. The trunk can be 1.5 m around. It can have buttresses. The bark is grey-brown with cracks along it. The small branches have a dense covering of hairs. The leaves are 10-30 cm long by 5-15 cm wide. They are oval or sword shaped. They are rounded or slightly heart shaped at the base. The leaf stalk is 1.5-7.5 cm long. The flowers are reddish-pink. They occur in stalked clusters. These have dense brown hairs. The fruit are made up of 4-5 boat shaped cells. Each one is 5-7 cm long. They are bright red but turn brown when ripe. They split along the top to expose 8 seeds. The seeds are 18 mm long. They do not have a seed covering (aril).

Edible Uses

The stem produces a gum used in ice cream and confectionery. Young leaves are cooked as a potherb, producing a slimy sauce. Seeds are roasted and eaten whole, or pounded and cooked with vegetables.

Traditional Uses

The stem produces a gum. The gum is used in ice cream and confectionary. The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a potherb. They make a slimy sauce. The seeds are roasted and eaten. They are also pounded and cooked with vegetables.

Medicinal Uses

Cultivated as a medicine.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is native to tropical W and C Africa. It grows in woodland and savannah. It can be along rivers and in palm groves. It grows in open and drier parts of the lowland rainforest. It suits humid locations. It needs a well-drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, West Africa, Zambia,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. It can also be grown from large cuttings. Trees re-grow after being cut down.

Propagation

A physical dormancy caused by the hard seed coat of the mature seeds of many species in this genus can be overcome by scarifying the seed. This is carried out by cutting away or abrading some of the seed coat to allow the ingress of water, though great care must be taken not to damage the embryo. The aril surrounding the seed should also be removed - this is easiest when it has been softened through soaking in water. The seeds germinate optimally at temperatures between 20 - 30°c. They can be sown in a nursery seedbed or in containers. A germination rate of about 95%, occurring within about 2 weeks can be expected if the seed has been properly treated.

Other Uses

A gum is obtained from wounds made in the trunk. It closely resembles gum tragacanth (obtained from Astragalus gummifer), and is used to adulterate gum arabic (obtained from Acacia sp.). The gum is used in its own right as a form of gum tragacanth in the textiles, cosmetic and ice cream industries. A fibre is obtained from the bark. The wood is white and somewhat soft, planes easily and works up to a neat finish. It is used for posts, boards and construction work.

Production

The seeds are collected during the dry season.

Notes

Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.

Synonyms

Clompanus pubescens Kuntze

Also Known As

Alawefun, Atakssule, Awuloko, Bamba, Bame, Barquelei, Bue, D'jubitabo, Dacud, Dredreboue, Efok afum, Ereito, Ezelfou, Fembe, Freito, Ibulbbecana, Kakubabolo, Kobei, Kombolokia, Kukukin rafi, Lufufia, Mangebore, Mboli, Mgboto, Milenda, Mkubukubu, N'bama, Nassina, Nkombolokia, Nkondo mfinda, Ntutu, Oloko, Pau-corda, Po-de-cabaco, Popoko, Pore-pore, Sakop, Sofo, Taba, Tabae, Tabo, Tchapelegue, Ucud, Umbana, Umbufure

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