Borassus aethiopum – Native Plant Search

Native Range

A native plant refers to a species of plant that has naturally evolved and grown in a particular geographic area without any human intervention or introduction. These plants have adapted to the local climate, soil, and ecological conditions over an extended period of time, often thousands of years. Because of this co-evolution with their specific environment, native plants have developed characteristics that make them well-suited to the local ecosystem and provide essential resources for local wildlife.

Native plants play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of an area. They provide food and habitat for native wildlife, support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem. Additionally, native plants often require fewer resources like water and fertilizers compared to non-native or exotic plants that may not be well-suited to the local environment.

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Native Continent

Africa

Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Mozambique, South Africa, Limpopo,

Natural Habitat

Edible Uses

Edible portion: Fruit, Cabbage, Sap, Seeds, Palm heart, Vegetable. Fruit - fresh or dried. Slightly sweet, but with a mild turpentine-like flavour. The fruits have a large, fibrous pulp, weighing around 500g each, that smells strongly of turpentine. They are consumed raw or cooked, preferably with rice. Eaten as a food supplement. Rich in oil. The ripe, fallen fruit are collected, peeled and the juicy pulp is squeezed in water to form a solution which is added to porridge during cooking in order to improve the flavour. The fruit is 15cm in diameter and is produced in large clusters. The immature seed contains a sweet juice which can be drunk like coconut water. As it matures, it solidifies becoming jelly-like and eventually solid. It can be eaten at all stages, the flavour gradually becoming more nut-like. Young seedlings - eaten as a vegetable like asparagus. Highly esteemed. The mature seeds can be buried in pits and allowed to germinate, and the shoots are said to be a delicacy. The tuberous portion of the first juvenile leaves are rich in starch - they make a highly prized vegetable. Apical bud and young leaves - raw or cooked. Eaten in salads, or used as a vegetable. Eating this bud leads to the eventual death of the plant since it is unable to produce side shoots. The sap is extracted from the stem. Rich in sugars, it can be made into a refreshing beverage, fermented to make palm wine (toddy) or vinegar, or the sugars can be extracted. The tip of the trunk is cut and excavated so that a bowl-shaped depression is made where sap accumulates. The sap is then collected and slightly fermented into a refreshing drink. Destructive harvesting is sometimes employed, where the cut is renewed twice every day for 3 - 4 weeks until the tree is exhausted and dies. Chemical composition: Protein (crude) = 2.8% (dry). Fat = 0.5% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 3.5% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 16.8% (dry). Amino acids (g (16g N)-1): Aspartic acid = 9.3g. Threonine = 3.6g. Serine = 3.9g. Glutamic acid = 8.9g. Proline = 5.0g. Glycine = 5.0g. Alanine = 5.0g. Valine = 5.0g. Cysteine = 0.1g. Methionine = 1.2g. Isoleucine = 3.6g. Leucine = 6.1g. Tyrosine = 2.8g. Phenylalanine = 3.6g. Lysine = 3.9g. Histidine = 2.1g. Arginine = 2.4g. Minerals: Sulphur = 0.04% (dry). Potassium = 0.09% (dry). Magnesium = 0.10% (dry). Calcium = 0.08% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). Zinc = 4 mg/kg (dry). Iron = 488 mg/kg (dry). Manganese = 8 mg/kg (dry). Copper = 2 mg/kg (dry).