Plukenetia conophora
| Plukenetia conophora | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Acalyphoideae |
| Tribe: | Plukenetieae |
| Genus: | Plukenetia |
| species group: | Tetracarpidium (syn. Angostylidium) |
| Species: | P. conophora |
| Binomial name | |
| Plukenetia conophora Müll. Arg. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Tetracarpidium conophorum (Müll.Arg.) Hutch. & Dalziel | |
Plukenetia conophora, also called Nigerian walnut, and conophor, is a climbing shrub in the genus Plukenetia. It is not related to the walnut, being so named because its nuts bear a superficial resemblance to the walnut. It is native to tropical western and central Africa from Togo to Congo and in Sierra Leone. It is abundant in the Nigeria, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. It prefers rain-forest hedge in half-shady places; low bush; secondary forest; plantations at elevations from 250–1,400 m (820–4,590 ft)
Morphology
It produces stems usually 3–15 m (9.8–49.2 ft) long, though they can be up to 30 m (98 ft) long. The seed is thin-shelled and about 25 mm (0.98 in) long.It is contained in a pod which may house;one shelled nut (single), two shelled nut (double) and three shelled nut. The walnut shells could be black or brown from the plant. The nut is whitish upon cracking from the shell. The nut has a thin layer in between two halves (when a nut is divided into two equal parts) of nut.
Usage
It is widely cultivated for its nuts, which are cooked and consumed as snacks; often served with corn. The seed can be ground into a powder and used with flour in making cakes.Eaten raw, it has an after bitter taste.The seed yields 48-60% of a light golden coloured oil with a flavour resembling linseed oil. The oil is highly unsaturated with 64% linolenic acid; 11% oleic acid; 10% linoleic acid and 15% palmitic acid and stearic acid.
Local names
References
- Dalziel, J M (1937). The useful plants of west tropical Africa. London: Whitefriars Press. p. 164. OCLC 1488353.
- Oke, O. L.; Fafunso, M. A. (1975). "Lesser known oilseeds--the nutritive value of conophor seeds in vitro and rats". Nutrition Reports International. 12: 41–49. ISSN 0029-6635.
- Oke, O. L. (1995). Leaf protein research in Nigeria. Ibadan, Nigeria: University of Ibadan Press.
- Edem, Christopher A.; Dosunmu, Miranda I.; Bassey, Francesca I. (2009). "Determination of Proximate Composition, Ascorbic Acid and Heavy Metal Content of African Walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum)". Pakistan Journal of Nutrition. 8 (3): 225–226. ISSN 1680-5194.
- "Tetracarpidium conophorum information from NPGS/GRIN". Germplasm Resources Information Network. USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Area. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- Oladiji, A. T.; Abodunrin. T. P.; Yakubu, M. T. (March 2010). "Toxicological evaluation of Tetracarpidium conophorum nut oil-based diet in rats" (PDF). Food and Chemical Toxicology. 48 (3): 898–902. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2009.12.030. ISSN 0278-6915.