Monodora myristica

Monodora myristica, the calabash nutmeg, is a tropical tree of the family Annonaceae or custard apple family of flowering plants. It is native to Angola, Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
In former times, its seeds were widely sold as an inexpensive nutmeg substitute. This is now less common outside its region of production.
Other names of calabash nutmeg include Jamaican nutmeg, African nutmeg, ehuru, ariwo, awerewa, ehiri, airama, African orchid nutmeg, muscadier de Calabash and lubushi.
Cultivation and history
The calabash nutmeg tree grows naturally in evergreen forests from Liberia to Nigeria and Cameroon, Ghana, Angola and also Uganda and west Kenya. Due to the slave trade in the 18th century, the tree was introduced to the Caribbean islands where it was established and become known as Jamaican nutmeg. In 1897, Monodora myristica was introduced to Bogor Botanical Gardens, Indonesia, where the trees flower on a regular basis but no fruit could yet be collected. Due to its large and orchid-like flowers, the tree is also grown as an ornamental.
Botany
Tree and leaves
Monodora myristica can reach a height of and in diameter at breast height (DBH). It has a clear trunk and branches horizontally. The leaves are alternately arranged and drooping with the leaf blade being elliptical, oblong or broadest towards the apex and tapering to the stalk. They are petiolate and can reach a size of up to .
Flower
The flower appears at the base of new shoots and is singular, pendant, large and fragrant. The pedicel bears a leaf-like bract and can reach in length. The flower’s sepals are red-spotted, crisped and long. The corolla is formed of six petals of which the three outer reach a length of and show curled margins and red, green and yellow spots. The three inner petals are almost triangular and form a white-yellowish cone which on the outside is red-spotted and green on the inside.
The flower’s stigmas become receptive before its stamens mature and shed their pollen (protogynous). Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads. The flower is pollinated by insects.
Fruit and seeds
The fruit is a berry of diameter and is smooth, green and spherical and becomes woody. It is attached to a long stalk which is up to long. Inside the fruit the numerous oblongoid, pale brown, long seeds are surrounded by a whitish fragrant pulp. The seeds contain 5-9% of a colourless essential oil.
Uses
Fruit and seeds
The odour and taste of the Monodora myristica seed is similar to nutmeg and it is used as a popular spice in the West African cuisine. The fruits are collected from wild trees and the seeds are dried and sold whole or ground to be used in stews, soups, cakes and desserts. For medicinal purposes they are used as stimulants, stomachic, for headaches, sores and also as insect repellent. The seeds are also made into necklaces.
Timber and bark
Monodora myristica timber is hard but easy to work with and is used for carpentry, house fittings and joinery. In medicine, the bark is used in treatments of stomach-aches, febrile pains, eye diseases and haemorrhoids.
Chemical compounds
The essential oil that can be obtained from the leaves contains β-caryophyllene, α-humulene and α-pinene. The major compounds found in the essential oil from the seeds are α-phellandrene, α-pinene, myrcene, limonene and pinene.
References
External links
Recipe for West African 'Fish Rub' incorporating Calabash Nutmeg
Recipe for Nigerian 'Isi Ewu' (Goat Stew) incorporating Ehuru
Flora of Angola
Flora of Benin
Flora of Cameroon
Flora of the Central African Republic
Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Flora of Equatorial Guinea
Flora of Gabon
Flora of Ghana
Flora of Guinea-Bissau
Flora of Ivory Coast
Flora of Kenya
Flora of Liberia
Flora of Nigeria
Flora of Sierra Leone
Flora of Sudan
Flora of Tanzania
Flora of Togo
Flora of Uganda
African cuisine
Spices
Edible thickening agents
myristica
Plants used in traditional African medicine
Plants described in 1791