Balanites maughamii
Balanites maughamii
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A tree of the tropical areas of eastern Africa[PFAF]. Growth of the tree follows the growth model of Champagnat: a shoot lengthens due to the activity of an apical bud. Initial growth is upright, but soon the shoot becomes drooping or pendulous under its own weight. A lateral bud then resumes upright growth and the pattern of growth and curvature repeats itself[1]. Manduro has been considered poorly suited to commercial exploitation, due to the difficulty of removing the kernel from the pulp and thick, fibrous shell. Modern processing methods may, however, overcome these drawbacks. Given the similarities of its fruits to those of the related Balanites aegyptiaca, which yield several natural products, Balanites maughamii probably has similar commercial potential, warranting further investigation[1].
Propagation
Seed - best germinated in the ground, as container-reared specimens tend to become chlorotic[1]. Root suckers can be used for propagation[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Balanites+maughamii>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [2]Flora Zambesiaca — http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html ↩︎An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎