Adansonia digitata, L. Africa (west): young, tender roots are edible. Pulp of fruits used for food and food seasoning. Acid pulp of fruit used by some pastoral tribes to curdle milk in the manufacture of kwatakwari. Young leaves eaten in soup, and as a pot herb. Seeds eaten as food and mixed with millet (Panicum miliaceum) to produce a thin gruel. Seeds also used in preparation of a beverage and eaten as a famine food after pounding. In Senegal, the bark is eaten, and the dried leaves are used as a condiment; Kenya (Mbeere division, Embu district): young leaves used as vegetable relish as start of rainy season; (semi-arid south-east): thick roots terminate in clusters of potato-like tubers which are cooked and eaten. Roots of germinated seeds can also be eaten; (Zimbabwe): fruit pounded to extraxt the pith which is then cooked either alone or mixed with maize meal - into a thick porridge; (Sudan - Kordofan, Darfur): green leaves mixed with Tamarindus indica fruit pulp; dried leaves used as waika, a traditional Sudanese dish; pulp used a beverage base; made into a porridge (nesha), by mixing the pulp with milk. Unripened fruits boiled and eaten as a salad. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): leaves, seeds, pod pulp, green fruit, young roots, bark eaten. Chemical composition - leaves (sun-dried): rich in calcium, containing 3.6% calcium oxide, potassium tartarate, common salt and tannin. Acid composition of seed oils (Nigerian sample): Oil = 15%. Fatty acid composition - 14:0 = trace. 18:0 = 5%. 18:1 = 33%. 18:2 = 29%. Cyclopropenoid acids (as sterculic [HBr-acetic acid in benzene]) = 7%. Chemical composition (after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 3.1% (dry). Fat = 0.5% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 9.2% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 5.8% (dry).Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 15.3% (dry). Sucrose = 19.3% (dry). D-gluose = 0.6% (dry). D-fructose = 5.6% (dry). Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 9.8g. Threonine = 5.2g. Serine = 5.9g. Glutamic acid = 10.1g. Proline = 7.5g. Glycine = 5.5g. Alanine = 5.2g. Valine = 5.2g. Cysteine = 1.3g. Methionine = 1.3g. Isoleucine = 4.2g. Leucine = 6.8g. Tyrosine = 3.3g. Phenylalanine = 4.2g. Lysine = 4.6g. Histidine = 1.6g. Arginine = 4.6g. Minerals: Sulphur = 0.13% (dry). Potassium = 0.06% (dry). Magnesium = 0.14% (dry). Calcium = 0.36% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 2.57% (dry). Zinc = 13mg/kg -1 (dry). Iron = 17mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 8mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 8mg/kg-1 (dry). Aluminum = 10mg/kg-1 (dry). Ethnomedical use - Mali: pulp of fruit reported effective in treating infant diarrhea. Vernacular names - Kikuyu: Mu -ramba, Baobab. Sudan - Arabic: Tebeldi. Nigeria - Hausa: Kuka. Kanuri: Kuka. Ref. ABDELMUTI, CORNELIUS, DIARRA, IRVINE, KABUYE, MORTIMORE; RILEY & BROKENSHA, UPHOF.
Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): leaves (?) and seeds eaten. Vernacular names - Hausa: Marga. Kanuri: Kuci. English: Silk Cotton Tree, Kapok Tree. Ref. DARLINGTON & AMMAL, MORTIMORE.
Eriodendron anfractuosum, DC. India (Bombay Presidency): seeds eaten; (Madras Presidency): seeds roasted and eaten. Vernacular names - Bombay Presidency: Shameula, Pandhari savar. Tamil: Elevam. Telugu: Poor. Ref. GAMMIE, SHORTT, WATT.