Agroforestree Database

Local names:
 English (mkanyi fat,kagne butter), Swahili (msambu,mkani)

Allanblackia ulugurensis is a medium to large evergreen forest tree to 30 m tall, with a straight and slightly buttressed bole. The branches are drooping and often conspicuously whorled. The bark is red-brown or brownish-grey and when slashed exuding yellow latex.

Leaves simple, opposite, dark green, 7.5-19.5 cm long by 4-11 cm wide; oblong or elliptic elongated, slightly emarginated or rounded at the apex and broadly cuneate at the base; with many pairs of lateral nerves running at a wide angle to the midrib; stalk stout, 0.7-1.4 cm long.

Flower unisexual, dioecious, clustered towards the ends of the drooping branchlets, axillary, fleshy, pedicel short, up to 5cm across when expanded and 1.5cm across in bud form. Sepals 5 unequal overlapping, red-brownish, elliptic or almost rounded with the inner 4-7.5 mm long and 4-6.5 mm wide and the outer nearly round up to 1.2 cm long and wide. Petals 5, rounded about 2cm long. Male flowers reddish pink. Stamen-bundle clavate, about 1-1.5cm long and 0.7-1.2 cm wide, angled pointing towards the centre of the flower. Female flowers stamens reduced to staminodes; ovary ovoid, 1.5 cm long, arranged in 2 rows; with the large 5-lobed stigmas forming a cap over the apex.

Fruit reddish pink but ochraceous when dry, conical-oblong drupe, 10-13.5 cm long and 6.5-8 cm in diameter, hanging at the end of a short stalk.

Seeds irregular in shape, brittle-shelled, 3-3.6cm long by 2.2-2.3cm in diameter, embedded in a gelatinous pulp on one angle.

The generic name ‘Allanblackia’ is after a 19th-century Kew botanist, Allan Black. The specific epithet ‘ulungurensis’ refers to one of the plant’s endemic distribution localities in Tanzania.

There are 9 species in the genus Allanblackia accepted according to Bamps (1969). These are A. ulugurensis Engl., A. stuhlmannii Engl. (endemic to East Africa), A. kisonghi Vermoesen, A. kimbiliensis Spirl  (endemic to Congo-Kinshasa). The rest such as Allanblackia floribunda Oliv., A. parviflora A.Chevalier, A. gabonensis (Pellegr.) Bamps, A. marienii Staner, A. stanerana Exell & Mendonca occur in several countries of Central Africa.

Ecology

A. ulungurensis occur in the upper-storey, evergreen forest rain-forest of Ulunguru, Nguru and Ruaha valley associated with other tree species such as Cephalosphaora usambarensis, Ochna holstii, Strombosia scheffleri, Albizia gummifera, Anthocleista zambeziaca, Bombax rhodognaphalon, Newtonia buchanannii, Chrysophyllum albidum, Parinari excelsa, Myrianthus arboreus, Isoberlinia scheffleri and Macaranga kilimandscharica.

Native range
Tanzania

Tree management

This is a potential plantation species that should be grown in full sun on well-drained soils.

Ripe fruits are collected from the ground. Seeds are extracted by breaking the fruits and the pulp around the seed cleaned by washing in water. They are dried and stored. The seed storage behaviour is recalcitrant. There seeds weigh about 115 seeds/kg.

A. ulungurensis occur in the upper-storey, evergreen forest rain-forest of Ulunguru, Nguru and Ruaha valley associated with other tree species such as Cephalosphaora usambarensis, Ochna holstii, Strombosia scheffleri, Albizia gummifera, Anthocleista zambeziaca, Bombax rhodognaphalon, Newtonia buchanannii, Chrysophyllum albidum, Parinari excelsa, Myrianthus arboreus, Isoberlinia scheffleri and Macaranga kilimandscharica.

Natural regeneration occurs in natural forest under the mother trees but regeneration is best under trees left after clearing natural forests. Wild animals that browse the species, prolonged germination period of the seeds exposing the tree to destructive agents and seed collectors for oil extraction are the main cause of poor regeneration in the wild. Very little effort has been made to artificially regenerate the species. No seed pre-treatment required during sowing. The use of wildings for potting and grafting are other alternatives, although poor survival rates have been reported.

 The seeds yield an edible white fat used in cooking and lighting. The seeds are dried in the sun for several days, pounded into a powder and boiled in water. The fat or oil, which floats on water, is removed for use. The seeds has recently been collected from the natural forests and sold to General Agricultural products Export Company (GAPEX) for export.

Apiculture: It’s a bee forage 

Timber: The timber is suitable for furniture, crates, boxes and beehives.

Shade or Shelter: The tree is used for shade and is a suitable amenity planting.

Dyestuff: The sap produced from the tree yields a yellow dye.

Lipids: Seeds yield an edible fat used in cooking, soap making and cosmetics

Medicine: The fat is used against coughs and chest problems.