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Poor Man’s Candle

Carpolobia alba

Poor Man’s Candle
Photo: Prudel7, CC0
Family
Polygalaceae (Polygal family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
W. Trop. Africa to N. Angola
Climate
wet tropical

About

Carpolobia alba is a plant species in the milkwort family (Polygalaceae) that is endemic to rainforests, forest fringes, and savanna-park with altitudes below 400 metres (1,300 ft) in Western Tropical Africa. It is a shrub or small tree which is 3 to 6 metres (9.8 to 19.7 ft) tall. Its branches are puberulous or shortly pubescent. Its leaves are membranous or slightly leathery. The flowers it produces are yellowish white or white with a crimson spot at the base of upper petals. It produces yellow or scarlet-coloured fruit which are edible and usually contain 3 seeds. It was first described by George Don in 1831. It is used traditionally as a medicine against sexual dysfunction.

Other Carpolobia plants

Carpolobia · Carpolobia lutea · Carpolobia

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Carpolobia alba by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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