Baillonella toxisperma aka Djave

Baillonella toxisperma is a large tree in the Sapotaceae family. It sheds its leaves. Its names include African pearwood, moabi and false shea butternut. It comes from Nigeria and west-central tropical Africa. Trees grow scattered in primary rainforest, away from marshy ground. People grow it for fruit and seeds rich in oil. They also take food, medicine and timber from wild trees.

Reference lists give a height of 164 feet (50 metres). Larger forest trees reach 197–230 feet (60–70 metres). PFAF lists a spread of 131 feet (40 metres). The straight, round trunk can swell near its base. It has no buttresses, or flared roots at the base. It may reach 98 feet (30 metres) before branches form. The trunk can span 10–16 feet (3–5 metres) across. Leaves grow in an alternate pattern, and fruits are round. Trees first flower at 50–70 years old. They start to fruit regularly later. Once established, trees bear fruit each year.

This tree needs a warm, humid tropical climate. Its forest range has mean temperatures of 23–26°C. Rain there totals 1,500–3,000 millimetres each year. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12. Moist soil that drains well suits it best. It accepts sand, loam and clay across a broad pH range. Young plants do well in part shade. More sun speeds their growth. Forest seedlings grow just 0.13–0.16 feet (0.04–0.05 metres) each year. With more light, growth can reach 1.3 feet (0.4 metres) each year. Yet PFAF gives it a general label of fast growth.

Fresh seeds sprout well in shade within one to four weeks. Stored seeds soon lose their power to sprout. Seedlings grown in nurseries survive well. In the wild, many seedlings die. Elephants and other animals eat young plants. Few survive beneath the parent tree. Some old trees have lived for several hundred years. Heavy logging puts local food and other product supplies at risk. Local people and logging firms have clashed over timber harvests.

People eat the fresh fruit pulp, which contains latex. They cook with oil from the seed kernels. They also use it for hair care and soap making. Traditional healers rub the oil on sore joints. They use bark preparations for toothache, kidney complaints and other ailments. Reports of these uses do not prove treatment works or is safe. The hard, heavy wood resists decay and several wood pests. Waste from oil extraction is toxic. People have used it as fish poison. Wood dust can irritate mucous membranes.