Sclerocarya Birrea

Sclerocarya birrea, the marula, (Greek σκληρός, sklērós, "hard", and κάρυον, káryon, "nut", in reference to the stone inside the fleshy fruit) is a medium-sized dioecious tree, indigenous to the miombo woodlands of Southern Africa, the Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa, and Madagascar. The tree is a single stemmed tree with a wide spreading crown. It is characterised by a grey mottled bark. The tree grows up to 18 m tall mostly in low altitudes and open woodlands. The fruits are used in the liqueur Amarula. The distribution of this species throughout Africa and Madagascar has followed the Bantu in their migrations, as it has been an important item in their diet since time immemorial.

When ripe, the fruits have a light yellow skin, with white flesh, rich in vitamin C – about 8 times the amount found in an orange – are succulent, tart with a strong and distinctive flavour. Inside is a walnut-sized, thick-walled stone. These stones, when dry, expose the seeds by shedding 2 (sometimes 3) small circular plugs at one end. The seeds have a delicate nutty flavour and are much sought after, especially by small rodents who know to gnaw exactly where the plugs are located.

Relationships: Belongs to the same family Anacardiaceae as the mango, cashew, pistachio and sumac, and is closely related to the genus Poupartia from Madagascar.

Common names:

English: jelly plum, cat thorn, morula, cider tree, marula, maroola nut/plum

Afrikaans: maroela

Portuguese (Mozambique): canhoeiro

Hausa: dania

Swahili: mng'ongo

Shona: mutsomo, mukwakwa, mushomo, muganu, mupfura; pfura; mufura, mafuna, marula

Tswana: morula

Ndebele iganu, ikanyi, umganu, umkano

Swazi: emaganu, umganu

Zulu: amaganu, umganu

Other: Boran (Kenya) - didissa ; Kamba (Kenya) - muua; Kwangali - ufuongo; Lovedu - marula; Maasai (Kenya) - ol-mangwai; Meru (Kenya) - mura; Pedi - lerula, marula; Pedi - morula, merula; Pokot (Kenya) - oruluo; Ronga (Mozambique) - ncanhi; Sebei (Kenya) - katetalum; Shangaan - nkanyi, inkanyi; Diga (Kenya) - mngongo; Tonga: tsua, tsula, umganu; Tugen (Kenya) - tololokwo; Dinka (Sudan) - Gummel; Nuer (Sudan) - Kamel, Omel; Moru (Sudan) - Kyele; Luo (Kenya) Ong'ono.