Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
GARCINIA KOLA
Botanical Name —
Garcinia kola
Heckel
Synonyms —
Garcinia akawaensis
Spirlet.,
Garcinia bergheana
Spirlet
Family —
Clusiaceae
Common Names —
Bitter kola, false kola, male cola
African Names —
Bini: edun; Efik: efiari; Ibibio: efiat; Igbo: akilu, aki-inu, adi, akara-inu,
ogolu; Ijaw: okan
Description —
Garcinia kola
is a medium-size tree, but sometimes grows up to 12 m tall and
1.5 m wide. It is a spreading tree with a dense and heavy crown; the bole is straight; the bark is
greenish brown, thick, and smooth. It has broad leaves, 5-10 cm long, elongated elliptic to broadly
elliptic, acute or shortly acuminate, cuneate, leathery, with very distinct resinous canals. It has 10
pairs of lateral veins that run parallel to the margin but not forming a marginal nerve; the midrib is
prominent at the underside; the stalk is stout, finely hairy in young leaves, and about 8 mm long.
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It bears male and female flowers separately, usually December-March and May-August. Female
flowers are yellow and fleshy, globose, 1.5 cm wide; male flowers are smaller but with more promi-
nent stamens (4 bundles), 4 sepals, and 4 greenish-white petals. It produces characteristic large
fruits (6 cm in diameter), with the size and color of an orange, containing 2-4 brown seeds embed-
ded in an orange-color pulp.
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Habitat and Distribution —
It is found in moist forests and cultivated in homesteads. It is dis-
tributed throughout West and Central Africa and has been located in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria,
Cameroon, and Congo.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
It is used extensively in traditional medicine for the treatment of vari-
ous diseases. The drug is chewed in southern Nigeria and parts of West Africa as a masticatory,
in spite of its very bitter taste. The stem bark is used as a purgative, and the powdered bark is used
for the treatment of malignant tumors. The sap is used for parasitic skin diseases. The latex (gum)
is used internally for gonorrhea treatment and applied externally to fresh wounds. The twigs of
G
.
kola
can be used as tapers, and the roots yield the favorite bitter chew sticks sold in small bundles
in local markets in West Africa. The seeds are used to prevent or relieve colic, cure head or chest
colds, and relieve cough. The seeds are chewed as an aphrodisiac and the dried nuts for dysentery
treatment. The seeds are also used in the treatment of diabetes, bronchitis, and throat infections.
The plant has been employed in the treatment of liver disorders.
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The peeled stem and twigs are
cut into small pieces and placed into a bottle of local gin, which is allowed to “mature” over a couple
of days for drinking as an aphrodisiac. The alcohol is replenished several times until the resultant
infusion becomes colorless.
