Olacaceae Ximenia americana L.

Olacaceae Ximenia americana

| | © P.Ekpe / NSBP

Other images of the same specimen :

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Keywords in this picture :

Fruit
Flower & fruit
Plant parts

Places where this species can be found :

Grenada - GRENADA
Sinsanbligbini Forest Reserve - NSBPGHANA
Bilisu Forest Reserve - NSBPGHANA
Larabanga - Mole Road - NSBPGHANA
Mole National Park - NSBPGHANA
Nabari Forest Reserve - NSBPGHANA

Species information

Description
2-7m shrub or tree with spines; bark red-brown; twigs furrowed, with minute raised spots; leaf blades 2-6cm, elliptic to ovate, glabreous, notched and witrh small point at apex; margins curled over; Corolla with 4 long lobes/petals, densely hairy within. 8-10 stamens in 2 rings; Drupe almost spherical 2-3cm long, yellow.

Interest
Fancisco Ximenes was a 17th century Spanish apothecary. Plum like fruits eaten raw or cooked. The young leaves taste and smell like bitter almonds; the fruits are rich in Cyanide chemicals (Prussic acid) (Dalziel, 1948) The scented wood hasd been used in India as a sandalwood substitute (Proctor, 1984). As with sandalwood, the tree is semi parasitic, the roots can attach and attach themselves to those of neighbours and steal some nutrients.

Specimen information

Collection Date
04/06/2005

Collector
Ekpe, P.

Specimen Number
210

Location
Palma Game Camp Area; Open wooded grassland

Notes
Small tree, about 3m tall. Bark rough; Slash red. Fruits are green drupes rippeing yellow.

Coordinates
Latitude: 9.141060 N Longitude: 1.529370 W Altitude: 0.0