Common Name:

General Information

Irvingia grandifolia is a large, deciduous tree with spreading branches and a hemispherical crown; it can grow up to 45 metres tall. The bole, which can be up to 150cm in diameter, is straight and fluted, with buttresses up to 4 metres tall[, ]. The leaves turn bright red before being shed, an unusual character found in only a few trees of the rain-forest[].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood. The tree is sometimes left standing when the forest is cleared for agriculture[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western tropical Africa - S Nigeria and W Cameroons, extending to the Congo and Angola

Habitat

Forest on dry or occasionally damp ground, but not seasonally flooded forest[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	35.00 m
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The seeds are occasionally cooked and eaten[]. Rich in oil[]. The mesocarp is rarely eaten[]. The seeds are 28 - 34 mm long, 16 - 19 mm wide, 4 - 6 mm thick; with a copious endosperm[].

Fruit - raw[]. The pulp is eaten, though it is not usually sought after[].

Medicinal

The bark has a number of medicinal uses[]. A decoction is taken internally for stomach and kidney-complaints and to treat menstrual and vaginal affections[]. Macerated in palm wine, it is taken as an aphrodisiac[].
Externally, a decoction is used for bathing children with fever and as an eyewash for ophthalmia[]. An ointment is made of the crushed bark, combined with palm-oil, for topical application in treating muscular pain, arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, fractures, oedemas, etc[]. The powdered bark is also used as a rub in order to ease body pains[].

A decoction of the leaves, combined with raw cassava tubers or with a decoction of the leaves of Staudtia kamerunensis, is taken to treat hypermenorrhoea[].

Some saponin and tannin has been found in the bark and roots[].
Extracts from the stems have been examined for activity against avian malaria with negative result[].

Other Uses

The white wood is very hard, heavy and difficult to work[, ]. It is said to have no value as timber[]. It is used locally in heavy construction[].

Propagation

Seed -

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