The mongongo tree, mongongo nut or manketti tree (''Schinziophyton rautanenii'') is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae and of the monotypic genus ''Schinziophyton''. A large, spreading tree, the mongongo reaches 15–20 metres tall. It is found on wooded hills and among

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, and is associated with the Kalahari sand soil-types. The leaves are a distinctive hand-shape, and the pale yellow wood is similar in characteristics to balsa, being both lightweight and strong. The yellowish flowers occur in slender, loose sprays.

Fruit

The fruits are known as ''mongongo fruits'', ''mongongo nuts'', ''manketti nuts'' or ''nongongo''. The egg-shaped, velvety fruits ripen and fall between March and May each year, and contain a thin exocarp around a thick, hard, pitted shell containing an edible

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

Distribution

The mongongo is distributed widely through subtropical southern Africa. There are several distinct belts of distribution, the largest of which reaches from northern Namibia into northern Botswana, south-western Zambia and western Zimbabwe. Another belt is found in eastern Malawi, and yet another in eastern Mozambique. It is also found in Angola, Tanzania and Zaire.

Taxonomy

The genus of ''Schinziophyton'' was

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

by John Hutchinson ex.

Alan Radcliffe-Smith Alan may refer to: People * Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

in Kew Bull. vol.45 (1) on page 157 in 1990. The genus name of ''Schinziophyton'' is in honour of Hans Schinz (1858–1941), who was a Swiss explorer and

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

and was a native of Zürich.

Traditional uses

Mongongo nuts are a staple diet in some areas, most notably among the San people of northern Botswana and Namibia. Archaeological evidence has shown that they have been consumed by the San communities for centuries. Their popularity stems in part from their flavor, and in part from the fact that they store well, and remain edible for much of the year. Dry fruits are first steamed to soften the skins. After peeling, the fruits are then cooked in water until the maroon-colored flesh separates from the hard inner nuts. The pulp is eaten, and the nuts are saved to be roasted later. Alternatively, nuts are collected from elephant

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; the hard nuts survive intact through the digestive process after the elephant has consumed and digested them. Once dry, the outer shell cracks easily, revealing the nut, encased within a soft, inner shell. The nuts are either eaten intact, or pounded as ingredients in other dishes. The oil from the nuts has also been traditionally used as a body rub in the dry winter months to clean and moisten the skin. The wood, being both strong and light, makes excellent fishing floats, toys, insulating material and drawing boards.

Nutrition

Per 100 grams shelled

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

: * 24 g protein * 57 g fat: ** 44% polyunsaturated fatty acids ** 18% monounsaturated fatty acids ** 17% saturated fatty acids * 193 mg calcium * 527 mg magnesium * 4 mg zinc * 2.8 mg copper * 565 mg vitamin E ( tocopherol)

Economic aspects

Richard Borshay Lee Richard Borshay Lee (born 1937) is a Canadian anthropologist. Lee has studied at the University of Toronto and University of California, Berkeley, where he received a Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. He holds a position at the University of Toronto as ...

, writes

A diet based on mongongo nuts is in fact more reliable than one based on cultivated foods, and it is not surprising, therefore, that when a Bushman was asked why he hadn't taken to agriculture he replied: "Why should we plant, when there are so many mongongo nuts in the world?"

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2429338, from2=Q15711533 Crotonoideae Desert fruits Edible nuts and seeds Drought-tolerant trees Nut oils Flora of Southern Africa