Pentadiplandra brazzeana

Pentadiplandra brazzeana is a climber that stays green year-round. It comes from west-central tropical Africa. Its plant family is Pentadiplandraceae. People call it joy perfume tree and j’oubli. It grows in Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, and northern Angola. It lives in upland forest and woods that have grown back. It also grows along rivers. In Cameroon, it grows where forest meets savannah too.

This plant can grow as a climber or shrub. Sources give a height of about 39 feet [12 metres]. Its climbing stems can reach 66 feet [20 metres] long. The shrub has many branches. It reaches about 16 feet [5 metres]. Shrubs have a web of swollen roots that branch. Climbers grow a large, fleshy tuber instead. The plant grows fast. Most source accounts, though, deal with wild plants. Its stems climb nearby plants, which give them support.

Flowers may have one sex or both sexes. Blooming lasts several months. The sources give no dates for when flowers bloom. Fruit crops tend to be small and spread over time. Shrubs may bear their fruit in a shorter season. The round berries turn red or grey with mottled marks. They measure about 0.11–0.16 feet [0.035–0.05 metres] across. Each holds many seeds. The red pulp tastes very sweet, but the seeds taste bitter. Squirrels, monkeys, and apes help spread the seeds. Berries left uneaten rot on the stems. They can shelter ants that live in trees.

Plants For A Future says it needs sun and moist soil. The soil must drain well. This source says it cannot grow in shade. Sand, loam, and clay soils all suit it. The soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. The same source lists USDA zones 10–12 and UK zone 10. It lists seed as a way to grow new plants. The evidence names no garden pests or diseases that cause problems.

People eat the fruit raw or use it to flavour food. The pulp also sweetens maize porridge. It holds brazzein, a sweet protein. People sometimes eat the root as a vegetable. In central Africa, people have long used roots as medicine. They use them for skin problems and conditions linked to childbirth. These uses do not prove that treatments work or establish safe doses. People hang roots indoors to deter snakes. People also use the fruit as fish poison. Its use as food does not mean it is safe in general.