Dacryodes : preserving biodiversity

Dacryodes, also called African pear or butter tree, belongs to the Dacryodes genus. It is part of the Burseraceae family. This evergreen tree thrives in tropical areas. It grows in damp, equatorial forests.

In the wild, the tree can reach 18 to 40 meters. On farms, it usually stays under 12 meters. It grows fast and has a short trunk. The crown spreads out widely. The bark is rough and has resin droplets. It is pale gray in color.

The leaves are compound. They have 5 to 8 pairs of leaflets. The leaves are bright green. They have a strong scent. The flowers smell nice too. They are about 0.5 centimeters across.

The fruits are shaped like ovals. They are 4 to 12 centimeters long. The fruits can be purple or dark blue. The pulp inside is blue. It is soft and oily. These fruits are good to eat. They have a sweet, pear-like flavor.

Dacryodes starts producing fruit 5 to 7 years after planting. It reproduces through seeds.

This plant grows from Angola in the south to Niger in the north. It also grows from Sierra Leone in the west to Uganda in the east. It is also farmed in Malaysia.