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Useful Tropical Plants

Irvingia excelsa

Mildbr.

Irvingiaceae

+ Synonyms

Irvingia gabonensis excelsa (Mildbr.) Okafor

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Irvingia excelsa is a large tree growing up to 40 metres tall, the bole having buttresses up to 3 metres tall[
405
Title
Irvingiaceae: Flora of the World Part 1: 1 - 25
Publication
 
Author
Harris. D.J.
Publisher
Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra
Year
1999
ISBN
0 642 56800 6
Description
A monograph of the Irvingiaceae which includes some plant uses.
].
The edible seed is harvested from the wild and used locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

405
Title
Irvingiaceae: Flora of the World Part 1: 1 - 25
Publication
 
Author
Harris. D.J.
Publisher
Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra
Year
1999
ISBN
0 642 56800 6
Description
A monograph of the Irvingiaceae which includes some plant uses.

Range

Western tropical Africa - Cameroon and Gabon to the Congo.

Habitat

Forest, on dry ground[
405
Title
Irvingiaceae: Flora of the World Part 1: 1 - 25
Publication
 
Author
Harris. D.J.
Publisher
Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra
Year
1999
ISBN
0 642 56800 6
Description
A monograph of the Irvingiaceae which includes some plant uses.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
HabitTree
Height30.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



A variable species in size and shape of its leaves[
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.
].

Edible Uses

The endosperm and cotyledons are cooked and eaten[
405
Title
Irvingiaceae: Flora of the World Part 1: 1 - 25
Publication
 
Author
Harris. D.J.
Publisher
Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra
Year
1999
ISBN
0 642 56800 6
Description
A monograph of the Irvingiaceae which includes some plant uses.
]. The seeds are 28 - 60 mm long, 17 - 40 mm wide, 3.5 - 6 mm thick with a copious endosperm[
405
Title
Irvingiaceae: Flora of the World Part 1: 1 - 25
Publication
 
Author
Harris. D.J.
Publisher
Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra
Year
1999
ISBN
0 642 56800 6
Description
A monograph of the Irvingiaceae which includes some plant uses.
].
The kernels from the fruit are an important ingredient in cooking. They are processed by grinding and crushing, and are then used to thicken soups and stews. The kernels are also made into a cake called 'dika bread' or 'odika bread' for year-round preservation and easy use[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The preparation of 'dika bread' consists of drying, roasting and grinding the kernels. The paste obtained is put in a container or 'cake tin' and left to cool for a few hours. Once solid, the cake is removed from the container and is ready for use. If well dried, it can be stored for more than a year. Sometimes women place a tin below the grid on which the dika cake is stored, to collect the oil that drips from it[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]

The pulp of the fruit is hard, stiff-fibrous and inedible[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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

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