Common Name:

General Information

Sterculia appendiculata is a deciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown; it can grow up to 40 metres tall. The straight bole usually has short buttresses and can be unbranched for the first 15 - 20 metres[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of timber.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

East tropical Africa - Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique.

Habitat

A canopy or emergent tree of coastal and riverine forests, coastal bushland and woodland at elevations from sea level to 600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A fairly fast growing tree[].

Edible Uses

Seeds - cooked[]. They are collected from the ground, roasted and eaten whole[]. They can also be roasted, then pounded and cooked with vegetables as a substitute for groundnuts or cooking fat[]. The brown seeds are up to 20mm long and 13mm wide, with a soft, yellow aril at the base[, ]. The seeds contain about 30% oil and 25% protein[].

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a side dish[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the bark and leaves is taken as a remedy for convulsions, paralysis and impotence[].

The leaves are used to treat cerebral malaria[].
A maceration of the petioles is drunk as a purgative[].

A decoction of the roots is used to treat diarrhoea, bilharzia and to prevent miscarriage in pregnant women[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is said to be a pioneer species[].

Other Uses

A yellow-brown dye is obtained from the tree (the part used is not specified)[].

The heartwood is pale brown and indistinctly demarcated from the sapwood[]. The wood is soft, easy to work but not very durable[, ]. It is used for local construction, boxes and plywood[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[].
A physical dormancy caused by the hard seed coat of the mature seeds of many species in this genus can be overcome by scarifying the seed. This is carried out by cutting away or abrading some of the seed coat to allow the ingress of water, though great care must be taken not to damage the embryo[]. The aril surrounding the seed should also be removed - this is easiest when it has been softened through soaking in water[]. The seeds germinate optimally at temperatures between 20 - 30°c. They can be sown in a nursery seedbed or in containers. A germination rate of about 95%, occurring within about 2 weeks can be expected if the seed has been properly treated[].

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