Irvingia

Irvingia
Ogbono nuts
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Irvingiaceae
Genus:	Irvingia
Species
Irvingia excelsa Irvingia gabonensis Irvingia grandifolia Irvingia malayana Irvingia robur Irvingia smithii Irvingia wombolu

Irvingia malayana in Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak, Vietnam

For Irvingia F.Muell., see its synonym Polyscias.

Irvingia is a genus of African and Southeast Asian trees in the family Irvingiaceae, sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, or bush mango. They bear edible mango-like fruits, and are especially valued for their fat- and protein-rich nuts.

The subtly aromatic nuts are typically dried in the sun for preservation, and are sold whole or in powder form. They may be ground to a paste known variously as dika bread or Gabon chocolate. Their high content of mucilage enables them to be used as thickening agents for dishes such as ogbono soup. The nuts may also be pressed for vegetable oil.

The fruit is a large drupe, with fibrous flesh.

The trees yield a hard wood, useful in construction.

The genus is named for Dr Edward George Irving, a Royal Navy surgeon.^[1]

Species

• Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O'Rorke) Baill.
• Irvingia malayana Oliv. ex A. W. Benn.

References

1. ^ D. Gledhill. The Names of Plants. Cambridge University Press, 2008.

External links

• Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne
• USDA Forest Products Laboratory Fact Sheet for Irvingia gabonensis
• Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis weight loss study
• Plant Resources of Tropical Africa - Irvingia gabonensis
• Irvingia gabonensis in West African plants - A Photo Guide.