''Chrysophyllum africanum'' is a medium sized tree within the

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology), order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of ev ...

family. It is sometimes known as the African Star Apple along with the closely related ''

Chrysophyllum albidum ''Gambeya albida'', commonly known as white star apple, is a forest fruit tree commonly found throughout tropical Africa. It is closely related to the African star apple (''Gambeya africana'') which is also common throughout West Africa. Some sch ...

''. Both species have similar leaf indumentum and are widespread in the

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and

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Guinea forest mosaic.

Description

Species reaches 25 meters in height, the trunk is straight, often grooved and angular with buttressed roots at the base. Bark is greyish brown to dark brown with white latex exuding from slash. Leaves simple and appear at the end of branches in tufts; petiole is 1.5-3.5 cm long, the abaxial surface has dense and appressed hairs and varies in color from pale brown to reddish-brown, adaxial surface is glabrous; leaf-blade is elliptical to oblong, 15-35 cm long and 5-13 cm wide, with 18-26 primary nerves on each side spaced 1-2 cm apart. Fruit is ovoid to globular shaped, with up to 5 shiny brown elliptical seeds; the fruit is rounded at the base, pointed or rounded at apex, 2.3-3 cm in diameter and up to 7 cm long, when ripe is it yellowish to orange colored.

Distribution

Occurs in Tropical West Africa and eastwards towards Uganda and Southwards to the Democratic republic of Congo and Cabinda, it is commonly found in lowland rainforest vegetation, near rivers.

Uses

Latex is obtained from the tree bark and used for

birdlime Birdlime or bird lime is an adhesive substance used in trapping birds. It is spread on a branch or twig, upon which a bird may land and be caught. Its use is illegal in many jurisdictions. Manufacture Historically, the substance has been prep ...

while the wood is often mixed with other African Chrysophyllum species traded in the timber market. The fruit is edible though acidulous, while bark extracts are used in decoctions to improve digestion.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2967405 Flora of West Tropical Africa

africanum This list of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names is intended to help those unfamiliar with classical languages to understand and remember the scientific names of organisms. The binomial nomenclature used for animals and plan ...