Common Name: African Star Apple

General Information

African star apple is a medium-sized tree growing up to 25 metres tall[].
The plant is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit, which is sold in local markets[, ]. The timber is traded internationally, but data on volumes are not available due to mixing with other Sapotaceae species. In Côte d’Ivoire it is rated as one of the high-value timbers for export, but it is undoubtedly exported from other countries as well[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone east to Uganda and south to DR Congo and Angola.

Habitat

Lowland rainforest, often near rivers, up to elevations of 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The wood has to be treated immediately after felling and cutting. Fresh logs do not float in water and have to be transported by truck[].

Edible Uses

The edible, pleasantly acidulous fruit is much esteemed by local people[]. The fruits are apricot-coloured and have a pleasant, acid pulp[]. The fruit is a large, ovoid to globose berry up to 7 cm long, becoming yellow-orange and glabrous when ripe[].

The seed oil is edible[]. The yield of oil from dried seeds is about 25%. The oil is deep red and it has low saponification and iodine values[].

Medicinal

A bark infusion is used in traditional medicine as a stomachic and carminative[]. A maceration of the stem bark is taken to promote lactation[].
The powdered bark is applied to sores[].

The fruit is used to treat diarrhoea and vomiting[].

Other Uses

The oil from the seeds is used to make soap[, , ].

A sticky latex is obtained from incisions in the bark[].

The wood is medium-weight, brittle and not very shock-resistant[]. The heartwood is whitish, often with a pinkish tinge when freshly cut, but darkening to yellowish or greyish brown, often with irregular dark stripes, and indistinctly demarcated from the slightly paler sapwood. The grain is straight, occasionally wavy or interlocked, texture fine to moderately fine[].
The wood is easy to saw, works well with hand and machine tools, and it can be planed to an excellent finish. It does not easily split when nailed, but pre-boring is recommended, and it holds nails and screws well. It has good gluing properties, and peels and slices satisfactorily. The wood is only moderately durable and liable to fungal discolouration and attack by termites and marine borers. It can be treated with preservatives using pressure processes[].
It is used for carving, moulding, turnery, cabinet making, veneer and plywood. It is also suitable for construction, carpentry, stairs, light flooring, mine props, ships, vehicle bodies, agricultural implements, sporting goods, interior trim, toys and novelties, railway sleepers, particle board and pulp for paper production[].

Propagation

Seed -

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