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Useful Tropical Plants

Afraegle paniculata

(Schumach. & Thonn.) Engl.

Rutaceae

+ Synonyms

Aegle barteri Hook.f. ex Oliv.

Balsamocitrus paniculata (Schumach. & Thonn.) Swingle

Citrus paniculata Schumach. & Thonn.

Limonia warneckei Engl.

Common Name: Nigerian Powder-Flask Fruit

Afraegle paniculata
Fruits - one cut open to show the seeds and flesh
Photograph by: Marco Schmidt
Creative Commons License

General Information

Nigerian powder-flask fruit is an evergreen, spiny shrub or tree growing up to 15 metres tall. The short bole usually branches within 150 - 200cm from the ground, it can be 25 - 40cm in diameter[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The tree has a rounded canopy comprised of numerous branches bearing very sharp, straight spines [
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood. It is often planted for its medicinal uses in the villages of Dahomey and Nigeria[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
,
617
Title
Traditional Vegetables in Benin
Publication
 
Author
Achigan-Dako E. Et al
Publisher
Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

West tropical Africa - Senegal to Nigeria.

Habitat

Lowland secondary thickets and fringes of the dense forest[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. Savannah, (rarely) dry forest and edges; gallery forest; secondary thickets on coastal plains at elevations up to 500 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height12.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details



In the quasi-tropical coastal region near Miami, Florida, which has an unusual type of soil consisting largely of porous-limestone rock intermingled with fine sand or very sandy loam, this species, when well fertilized, makes extraordinary growth - a specimen growing near Coconut Grove, when only four or five years old and only 1.6 - 1.8 metres tall, had a lateral spread of 4.5 - 6 metres[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
]. As it grew older, it became much taller but still had long branches[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
].

Edible Uses

The seeds are said to yield an edible oil[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
].

Leaves - cooked[
617
Title
Traditional Vegetables in Benin
Publication
 
Author
Achigan-Dako E. Et al
Publisher
Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin.
]. The leaves are only used rarely[
617
Title
Traditional Vegetables in Benin
Publication
 
Author
Achigan-Dako E. Et al
Publisher
Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science
Year
2009
ISBN
 
Description
Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin.
].

The globose or obovoid fruit is as large as a big orange (6 - 8cm in diameter when mature), wrinkled on the surface, without odorous glands[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
]. This report does not say that the fruit is edible[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Medicinal

The plant has a range of medicinal uses[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Agroforestry Uses:

This species is being tested as a rootstock for the bael fruit, Aegle marmelos, a species which often does not grow well on its own roots[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
].

Other Uses

The leaves are sometimes macerated and added to the water used for bathing[
319
Title
University of California Riverside. Citrus Variety Collection
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/alphabetical.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets about various Citrus species and related species, plus varieties. Good photographs, some helpful information on uses.
].

The wood is used to make household, domestic and personal items[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Afraegle+paniculata>

Comments

Jose WAIZEL 08th November 2014 2:12
The plant are used in the treatment of convulsions. and elaborate alkaloids.

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