Coula edulis
Encyclopedia
Coula edulis is a tree
in the genus Coula
, native to tropical western Africa
from Sierra Leone
to Angola
. It is plentiful in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria
and Sierra Leone. It prefers tropical regions and is tolerant of light shade. It can be found in the top canopy of forest as well as the lower story and has no special soil requirements.
It is an evergreen
tree growing to a height of 25-38 m, and has a dense crown that can cast deep shade. The leaves
are arranged alternately, simple, 10-30 cm long and 4 cm broad, with an entire margin and an acuminate apex. The flower
s are produced from April to June, and are greenish yellow, with either four or five petals.
The nut
is an ellipsoidal drupe available from August to January, 3-4 cm long, with flesh surrounding the kernel, 5-6 mm thick, smooth in texture and can be red or green. The kernel shell is extremely hard and makes germination difficult. The nuts are usually found under the mother trees.
Common names include Gabon Nut, African Walnut, Congowood, Tigerwood. It is not related to the Walnut
, being so named because its nuts bear a superficial resemblance to the Walnut.
Local names
Dialect names
The wood is bronze-coloured, yellow-brown with irregular dark lines which is how the name tigerwood was derived. It is extremely hard, heavy, close-grained, and resists water well, making it a valuable hardwood. Increasing that value is the fact that it can come in large sizes, has an attractive appearance and easy to shape with tools. Woods from tropical Africa are coming under export restrictions to curb excessive logging.
. The flavour is mild and is said to be between the flavour of hazelnuts and chestnuts. Used in a variety of ways it can be boiled, roasted and fermented before being eaten. The nuts can be used in recipes and mixed with meats. It is also a source of cooking oil and ground flour.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
in the genus Coula
Coula
Coula is a genus of one to three species of trees native to tropical Africa. Currently placed in the family Olacaceae, recent genetic evidence suggests this family is paraphyletic, and that Coula and related genera should be transferred to a new family Strombosiaceae.Selected species*Coula cabrae...
, native to tropical western Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. It is plentiful in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Sierra Leone. It prefers tropical regions and is tolerant of light shade. It can be found in the top canopy of forest as well as the lower story and has no special soil requirements.
It is an evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree growing to a height of 25-38 m, and has a dense crown that can cast deep shade. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are arranged alternately, simple, 10-30 cm long and 4 cm broad, with an entire margin and an acuminate apex. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are produced from April to June, and are greenish yellow, with either four or five petals.
The nut
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
is an ellipsoidal drupe available from August to January, 3-4 cm long, with flesh surrounding the kernel, 5-6 mm thick, smooth in texture and can be red or green. The kernel shell is extremely hard and makes germination difficult. The nuts are usually found under the mother trees.
Common names include Gabon Nut, African Walnut, Congowood, Tigerwood. It is not related to the Walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
, being so named because its nuts bear a superficial resemblance to the Walnut.
Local names
- Anamemila, Apopo, Sida in NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
- Bombulu in ZaireZaireThe Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
- Dibetou in GabonGabonGabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
and Ivory Coast - Mpengwa in GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
Dialect names
- Akiouhia in EbriéEbriéThe Ebrié are an Akan people people living in the Abidjan region of Côte d'Ivoire.The lagoon separating the Plateau neighborhood from the rest of the city is often called the Ebrié lagoon. The Ebrié represent approximately 0.7% of the country's population....
- Atsan in Atié
- Bogüe in Agni
- Howôtou in Oubi
- Ouatou in Kroumen
- Séatou or Sratou in Guéré
Uses
Every part of the tree is used in both raw and finished states. Its timber and nuts are used extensively. The bark is used locally to produce rinses or enemas for loin pains or kidney problems. The wood is used to make pilings for bridges and railway ties in addition to charcoal and standard construction. It is also used for furniture and cabinetwork construction, decorative veneers, paneling, fixtures and joinery.The wood is bronze-coloured, yellow-brown with irregular dark lines which is how the name tigerwood was derived. It is extremely hard, heavy, close-grained, and resists water well, making it a valuable hardwood. Increasing that value is the fact that it can come in large sizes, has an attractive appearance and easy to shape with tools. Woods from tropical Africa are coming under export restrictions to curb excessive logging.
Nuts
The nut is 50% fat of which 87% is oleic acidOleic acid
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found in various animal and vegetable fats. It has the formula CH37CH=CH7COOH. It is an odorless, colourless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish. The trans isomer of oleic acid is called elaidic acid...
. The flavour is mild and is said to be between the flavour of hazelnuts and chestnuts. Used in a variety of ways it can be boiled, roasted and fermented before being eaten. The nuts can be used in recipes and mixed with meats. It is also a source of cooking oil and ground flour.