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Summary

Commonly found in tropical Africa, Parinari curatellifolia or commonly known as Mbola or Mobola Plum is an evergreen tree growing about 22m high and 20m across characterized by its mushroom-shaped crown. The branches are heavy and may droop or grow erect. The bole is twisted and can be up to 40cm in diameter. Mbola is used medicinally for toothaches, pneumonia, fever, fractures, wounds, sores, and cuts. The ovoid, yellow fruits have delicious flesh that is somehow comparable to the taste of strawberry. It can be eaten raw, cooked, or processed into juice or jam. The seeds are often roasted, boiled, or grounded into powder. Tannins from the bark are used as a dye in making baskets. Seed oil is used in paint, varnish, soap, etc. Twigs are used as chew sticks. The wood is heavy, durable, hard, and highly resistant to fire but difficult to work. It is used for making furniture, poles, dugout canoes, and mortars. It is also used for fuel and charcoal.

Physical Characteristics

Parinari curatellifolia is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bees.
Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Kenya, south to northern SW. Africa, Botswana and the Transvaal.

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Oil Seed
Edible Uses: Drink Oil

Fruit - raw or cooked[398 ]. It has a dry but delicious flesh[307 ]. A strawberry-like flavour[46 ]. Somewhat astringent, it is one of the best wild fruits of the area[308 ]. It has a pleasant taste when it has been stored for a few days until it is thoroughly ripe[308 , 466 ]. The fruits can be pounded with water and the liquid obtained thickened with flour to make a gruel known as 'phala la maula'[466 ]. A soft drink is prepared by peeling ripe fruits and soaking them in warm water[398 ]. A nice jam can be made from the fruit[398 ]. The russet-yellow, ovoid fruit is 3 - 5cm in diameter[307 ]. It has a high content of protein and vitamin C[418 ]. The seeds make an excellent substitute for almonds[308 ]. Often roasted[335 ]. They can be pounded and used in making soup[418 ]. The seeds contain about 40% oil (70% in the kernels)[325 ]. It is extracted and used for cooking[325 , 398 ]. The seeds are dried, roasted, crushed, boiled in water, left to cool and the oil skimmed off[398 ].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Febrifuge Mouthwash Skin Vitamin C

The root is highly valued for its medicinal properties[307 ]. An infusion of the roots is used to treat toothache[325 ]. A hot fomentation of the bark is used in the treatment of pneumonia[418 ]. A leaf decoction is either drunk or used in a bath as a remedy for fevers[418 ]. The crushed or pulped leaves are used in a dressing for fractures or dislocations, and for wounds, sores and cuts[418 ].

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Charcoal Fire retardant Fuel Furniture Oil Paint Soap making Tannin Teeth Varnish Wood

Agroforestry Uses: An important tree for bee forage[398 ]. Other Uses The bark contains tannins[418 ]. It is used as a dye in basket making[325 ]. The seeds contain around 38% oil[303 , 418 ]. It is used in making paint, varnish, soap etc[325 ]. The twigs are used as chew sticks to keep teeth and gums clean and healthy[325 ]. The pale-brown to yellow-red wood is hard, durable and heavy, but is high in silica making it somewhat difficult to saw and plane[466 ]. It is strongly fire resistant[325 ]. A locally important wood, it is very suitable for fine woodwork, building and furniture making, and is also used for poles, dugout canoes and mortars[307 , 466 ]. The wood is used for fuel[398 , 418 ] and makes a good charcoal[466 ].

Special Uses

Attracts Wildlife Carbon Farming Coppice Food Forest

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Industrial Crop: Oil Management: Standard Regional Crop Staple Crop: Oil

A plant of the tropical and subtropical savannah, growing at elevations of 900 - 1,500 metres in areas with a pronounced dry season[466 ]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature falls within the range 14 - 30°c, but can tolerate 10 - 36°c[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 1,000mm, tolerating 100 - 2,700mm[418 ]. Prefers a deep soil in a sunny position[307 ]. Grows best in light soils[335 ]. Often found on light yellowish-brown to reddish-yellow, gritty, sandy clay loams and red to dark red friable clays with lateritic horizon[418 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, but tolerates 5 - 7.5[418 ]. It can tolerate small concentrations of copper in the soil[418 ]. Dislikes cold winds[418 ]. Trees can be coppiced[325 ]. Because of its resistance to fire it features prominently in fire-maintained wooded grassland, especially in upland areas on the former site of montane forest[308 ].

Carbon Farming

Industrial Crop: Oil Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, biomass, glycerin, soaps, lubricants, paints, biodiesel. Oilseed crop types.
Management: Standard Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Crop These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Staple Crop: Oil (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

Seed - it remains viable in normal storage for at least 4 years[325 ]. The seeds should be sown in river sand in flat seed trays. Press the seeds down until they are level with the soil surface and cover with a thin layer of sand. Germination is very poor and prolonged, commencing after about 5 weeks. Seedlings should be transplanted in the 3-leaf stage. Be careful when transplanting the seedlings, the taproot is easily damaged[325 ]. Plant out when about 30cm tall. Root suckers.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Mbola, Grys Appel, Sand Apple, Hissing Tree, Angili, Bosapple, Cork tree, Grys apple, Hacha, Hissing tree, Kele, Mah'ulu, Mampara-djom-ae, Maula, Mbula, Mbulwa, Mbura, Mmola, Mpembu, Msavula, Msawula, Mubuni, Muchakata, Muhacha, Muisha, Mula, Munazi, Mupunda, Mupundu, Mushacata, Mutopio, Mutubi, Muvhula, Muwula, N'tupiu, Naji, Ntja, Omoraa, Tela, Tubi, Tupi, Umkhuna, Umunazi, amabuye, boom-grysappel, boomgrysappel, cork tree, ghutha, grysappel, hacha, hissing tree, mah'ulu, maura (fruits), mbola, mibula, mmola, mobola, mobola plum, mobola-plum, mobola-pruim, mubula, mucha, muchache, muchakata, muhacha, musa, mushacata, mutaburu, mutopio, mutubi, muura, muvhula, n'ana, n'tupiu, n'ghanni, naghanni, naxani, nj'gh'n', nonsa, nsa, ntja, ol'matakuroi, omoraa, ongoro, sand apple, sandapple, tela, tha, tjaweru, tubi, tupi, umnkuna, usa, usha [1-4].

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Namibia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo; Burundi; Central African Republic; Cameroon; Congo; Rwanda; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Chad; Sudan; South Sudan; Kenya; Tanzania, the United Republic of; Uganda; Angola; Malawi; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe; South Africa; Swaziland; Madagascar; Gambia; Benin; Burkina Faso; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Guinea; Mali; Nigeria; Niger, Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Guinée, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe [1-4].

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Brosimum parinarioides	Leite de amapa, Brosimum	Tree	32.0	10-12	M	LMH	N	M	3	2	3

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Expert comment

Author

Planch. ex Benth.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

Parinari curatellifolia - Planch. ex Benth.