Common Name: Nigerian Powder-Flask Fruit

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[]. The tree has a rounded canopy comprised of numerous branches bearing very sharp, straight spines [].
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[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Senegal to Nigeria.

Habitat

Lowland secondary thickets and fringes of the dense forest[]. Savannah, (rarely) dry forest and edges; gallery forest; secondary thickets on coastal plains at elevations up to 500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, 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[]. As it grew older, it became much taller but still had long branches[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are said to yield an edible oil[].

Leaves - cooked[]. The leaves are only used rarely[].

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[]. This report does not say that the fruit is edible[].

Medicinal

The plant has a range of medicinal uses[].

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[].

Other Uses

The leaves are sometimes macerated and added to the water used for bathing[].

The wood is used to make household, domestic and personal items[].

Propagation

Seed -

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