Common Name: Jamaica Cob Nut

General Information

Omphalea triandra is a tree growing up to 15 metres tall[].
The plant is sometimes cultivated, especially in Jamaica, for its edible, oil-rich seed[].

Known Hazards

Although the family Euphorbiaceae contains a very high percentage of poisonous plants, the seeds of this and several other species in the genus Omphalea are an exception to the rule, with several of them being considered wholesome and being eaten by humans. Some caution should be employed, however, since there are often warnings about how they should be eaten. Some reports, for example, say that the embryo of this species needs to be removed in order to remove a deleterious principal[, ].

Botanical References

Range

West Indies - Jamaica, Haiti.

Habitat

Wet or moderately wet woodlands on limestone, also occasionally found at higher elevations on shale[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland tropical areas, occasionally also found at elevations up to 1,200 metres[].

Plants can be coppiced[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. Looking somewhat like a cob nut, the wholesome seed has a selicately sweet flavour[, ]. When roasted it is equal, if not superior, to any chestnut[]. The embryo needs to be removed because it contains a deleterious principle[].

A sweet, fine flavoured oil can be extracted from the seed[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The latex is a possible source of rubber, though it is hard to gather[].

The seeds are known as Ouabé and are used to make popular necklaces[].

The seeds yield about 62% of an excellent oil that can be used for machine lubrication[].

Propagation

Seed -

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