There has been considerable disagreement about the correct spelling for this generic name. It was originally written as Ancylobothrys by Pierre in the Bull. Soc. Linn. Paris ser. 2: 91. 1898. This was considered to be a mis-spelling by many botanists and Huber, in Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 2nd ed. 2. 1963, corrected it to Ancylobotrys. This name remained in common usage for around 50 years but several recent publications have reverted to the original spelling. We also are following the original spelling since it has now been accepted in the Kew 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families[].

Common Name:

General Information

Ancylobothrys amoena is an evergreen scrambling shrub or climbing plant that can produce branches 10 metres or more long. The branches can climb into the surrounding vegetation, attaching themselves by means of terminal tendrils[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Liberia eastwards through southern Chad, Sudan and Uganda, south to Gabon, DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania

Habitat

Secondary forest and gallery forest in woodland at elevations from sea level to 2,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Flowering and fruiting is usually seasonal, though in the east of its range it can occur scattered through the year[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. A somewhat apricot-like flavour[]. The fruit is a yellow to red, globose or slightly pear-shaped berry, 15 - 20mm in diameter, containing 1 - 4 relatively large seeds[].

Seed[].

Medicinal

The sap is dripped straight into the eye for suppuration[].

The fruits are used as a treatment on sores[].

Other Uses

The plant contains a white latex which may be sparse, or abundant. It does not coagulate naturally, nor can it apparently be made to do so, but it dries to an useless powder[]. There are, however, references to it being a rubber yielder in the Bassa area of N Nigeria and in Sudan[].

The stems are woven into baskets and fish-traps[].

Propagation

Seed -

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