Mongongo Tree

Usually medium-sized to large spreading tree. Bark grey to pale golden-brown, smooth, often peeling. Leaves spirally arranged, digitate with 5-7 leaflets; leaflets elliptic-ovate to oblanceolate, dark green above, pale grey below, turning bright yellow before falling, stellate hairy; 2-4 bright green glands just above the petiole; margins entire edged with gland dots. Flowers unisexual on different trees, calyx and ovary densely covered in golden-brown to rusty stellate hairs. Fruit ovoid, 2.5 × 3.5 cm, light grey-green, covered in velvety hairs. The hard seeds produce an edible oil.

Southern Tanzania, southern DRC, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa.