''Irvingia'' is a
genus of
African and
Southeast Asian
trees in the family
Irvingiaceae
Irvingiaceae is a family of flowering plants, consisting of 13 species in the 3 genera ''Allantospermum'', ''Irvingia'' and ''Klainedoxa''. '' Desbordesia'', formerly accepted is now included in ''Irvingia''.
The family is named for the Scottish ...
, sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, bush mango, dika, mbukpap uyo or
ogbono. They bear edible
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
-like fruits, and are especially valued for their
fat- and
protein-rich nuts.
The fruit is a large
drupe
In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...
, with fibrous flesh. The subtly aromatic nuts are typically dried in the sun for preservation, and are sold whole or in powder form. They may be ground to a paste known variously as dika bread or Gabon chocolate. Their high content of
mucilage enables them to be used as
thickening agents for dishes such as
ogbono soup
Ogbono soup, is a Nigerian dish made with ground dry ogbono seeds. Ogbono seeds (the local name for Irvingia) are originated and were first grown in Southern Nigeria with considerable local variation. According to research by Chris Chinaka and J. ...
. The nuts may also be pressed for
vegetable oil.
The trees yield a hard
wood, useful in construction.
''Irvingia'' was described as a genus in 1860.
It is native to Africa and Southeast Asia.
The genus is named in honour of
Edward George Irving
Edward George Irving (1816–1855) was a Scottish surgeon who served in the Royal Navy. He was also a collector of plants, and the plant family Irvingiaceae, and genus Irvingia are named after him.
Marriage and Family
He married Lucy Elizabeth H ...
, a
Royal Navy surgeon.
[D. Gledhill. ''The Names of Plants''. Cambridge University Press, 2008.]
Species
List of species:
[
]
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q655403
Irvingiaceae
Malpighiales genera
Edible fruits