Leguminosae (Mimosoideae subfamily), Tetrapleura tetraptera, aidan tree, munyegenye – Gabon, Central West Africa
July 4, 2012
Tetrapleura tetraptera is a deciduous tree native to W. and Central W. Africa. The pulp surrounding the seed (see seedpod photo below) is rich in sugars and is used to flavor foods. The wood is reddish brown with hard heartwood. Tannisn are obtained from the fruit pulp and leaves, bark, roots and seeds are used for medicinal purposes.
The tree can reach up to 25 m. in height.
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I was born in Guatemala and that was one of my favorite “fruits”? I don’t know if it is a fruit, but it was sweet as a fruit, I miss it.
I have one growing in my back yard, offspring of the tree at Flamingo Gardens which went un-ID’d for a number of years after records were lost. The pulp has a wonderful, intoxicating aroma. Most of the African recipes using it feature large snails, something which I’m not interested in trying. Very nutritious pulp, though.