Ogbono
| Dika | |
|---|---|
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| Ogbono nuts | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Irvingiaceae |
| Genus: | Irvingia |
| Species: | I. gabonensis |
| Binomial name | |
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Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O'Rorke) Baill. |
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| Natural occurrence of Irvingia gabonensis in Africa | |
Irvingia gabonensis is a species of African trees in the genus Irvingia, sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, bush mango, dika or ogbono. They bear edible mango-like fruits, and are especially valued for their fat- and protein-rich nuts.
Irvingia gabonensis is indigenous to the humid forest zone from the northern tip of Angola, including Congo, DR Congo, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire and south-western Uganda.
It is planted in parts of this area, e.g. in southeastern and south-western Nigeria and southern Cameroon, and also in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
The tree is present in the tropical wet and dry climate zone. Dika grows naturally in canopied jungle, gallery forests and semi-deciduous forests. It grows at altitudes from 200–500 m (660–1,640 ft) with annual rainfalls from 120–150 cm (47–59 in). Supported temperature ranges from 20–38 °C (68–100 °F) under slightly shaded to very bright, clear skies. Deep soils with more than 150 cm (59 in) are needed with a moderate fertility and good drainage. pH can range from 4.5 to 7.5.
Irvingia gabonensis grows straight, up to a height of 40 m (130 ft) and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in diameter. It has buttresses to a height of 3 m (9.8 ft). The outer bark is smooth to scaly with grey to yellow-grey color. The crown is evergreen, spherical and dense. Leaves are elliptic, one margin is often a little rounder than the other, acuminate, dark green and glossy on the upside. Flowers are yellow to greenish-white in small panicles. The flowers are bisexual. The fruit is nearly spherical, green when ripe with a bright orange pulp. The stone is woody and contains one seed. Seedling germinates epigeally.
Irvingia gabonensis is pollinated by Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. It flowers from March to June and has two fruiting seasons: from April to July and from September to October. Seeds are dispersed by specialized vertebrates as elephants and gorillas. By reducing the number of those animals, the spread and regeneration of dika decreases and it becomes dependent on human planting.
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Wikipedia