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Nauclea latifolia
Rubiaceae FAMILY

Nauclea latifolia

Nauclea latifolia

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Tree
GrowthMedium

Plants grow in hot tropical climates, where they are found at elevations from sea level to around 200 metres[1, 2]. They grow best in areas where the mean annual temperature is around 27°c[1]. They succeed in a range of moisture conditions from fairly dry savannah to moist forest[2], preferring a mean annual rainfall around 2,700mm[1]. Plants are tolerant of a range of soils, preferring a position in full sun[3]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[3]. Seedlings commence fruiting when about 5 - 6 years old[2]. The flowers are extremely fragrant[3]. Plants respond well to coppicing[1].

Propagation

Seed - usually sown in situ[1]. The seed is said to germinate more quickly and reliably if it first passes through the gut of a baboon[1, 3]. Cuttings of greenwood. Layering. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Nauclea+latifolia>

Pollinators

Bees, Butterflies

References

  1. [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  2. [2]Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory — Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M. · U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service · 1987 ↩︎A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
  3. [3]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  4. [4]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  5. [5]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  6. [6]Occurrence of the Synthetic Analgesic Tramadol in an African Medicinal Plant. — Boumendjel, A. Et al · 2013 · http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201305697/full · ISBN 1521-3773 ↩︎A research paper, showing the presence of a natural pain-relieving opoid in the bark and roots of Nauclea latifolia.