Heisteria parvifolia (PROTA)
Introduction |
| General importance |  
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| Geographic coverage Africa |
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| Geographic coverage World |
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| Fruit |
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| Medicinal |
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| Timber |
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| Fuel |
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- Protologue: Rees, Cycl. 17: Heisteria 3 (1811).
- Family: Olacaceae
- Chromosome number: 2n = 38
Origin and geographic distribution
Heisteria parvifolia occurs from Senegal and south-western Mali eastward to the Central African Republic and southward to DR Congo and northern Angola; possibly also in Uganda and southern Sudan.
Uses
The wood of Heisteria parvifolia is used for construction, poles, piles, carpentry, palisades and tool handles. The flexibility of stems and wood make them suitable for making bows, arrows, snares, springs, fishing spears and other fishing goods. The wood is also used as firewood.
The glossy, dark green leaves and enlarged scarlet calyx persisting on the developing fruit make the shrub or tree an attractive ornamental. In several areas the fruits are eaten fresh; the small oil-rich seeds are eaten fresh, roasted or cooked. The twigs are used as chew-sticks. The leaves are used to line baskets for carrying fruits. In Congo leaves have been used to dye shields.
In traditional medicine in Ghana, ground roots are applied as enema against stomach-ache. In Congo sap from the root bark is dropped into the nose against migraine and into the eye to treat painful, infected eyes. Stem bark is taken in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and DR Congo as a cough medicine. In Gabon bark is applied to circumcision wounds. In Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire leaf decoctions are taken or applied as a bath to invigorate rachitic children and to treat convulsions. They are also used as analgesic and rubbed onto painful breasts of young mothers, and in Sierra Leone to treat toothache. In Congo leaf decoctions are administered against asthma, costal pain, stomach pain and menstrual problems. Ground seeds are used to stupefy fish. In DR Congo powdered bark is an ingredient in the preparation of arrow poison.
Production and international trade
The various products of Heisteria parvifolia are only traded locally.
Properties
The wood is pinkish grey to pale brown, heavy and hard. The texture is fine.
The seed kernel contains about 50% fat and has a nice flavour like hazel-nut. The fatty acid composition is reported as: mainly long-chain (C16–C28) saturated fatty acids 18.5%, oleic acid 31%, other mono and di-enoic fatty acids 5%; in addition several rare fatty acids are present, including trans-unsaturated acids. Leaves contain some tannin.
Description
Evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15(–20) m tall; bole up to 40(–60) cm in diameter, slightly fluted at base or with thin buttresses; bark surface finely fissured, grey to dark brown, inner bark pinkish with a reddish resin; crown with long, arching branches, drooping and much-branched at the ends; twigs slightly winged or ridged, glabrous and often with conspicuous lenticels. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 0. 5–1.5 cm long, grooved above; blade elliptical to oblong or lanceolate, 6–25 cm × 2.5–12 cm, base rounded or cuneate, apex acuminate, leathery, margin slightly inrolled, glabrous, pinnately veined with (5–)6–11 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence an axillary fascicle. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous, creamy to greenish white, very small; pedicel 1.5–4 mm long, elongating in fruit; calyx lobes deltoid, c. 1 mm long; petals free, oblong-lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm long; stamens free, in 2 whorls, those of outer whorl slightly longer than those of inner one; ovary superior, 3-celled. Fruit an ellipsoid drupe 10–12 mm × 6–8 mm, whitish to greenish, enclosed by the enlarged, reddish brown to dark red calyx lobes up to 3 cm long; stone ellipsoid, 7–9 mm × 4–6 mm, 1-seeded. Seeds oily. Seedling with epigeal germination; hypocotyl 5–8 cm long, epicotyl c. 1 cm long; cotyledons leafy, elliptical, 2–3.5 cm long; first leaves alternate.
Other botanical information
In several regions Heisteria parvifolia can be found flowering and fruiting nearly throughout the year. Numerous animals eat the fruits and serve as seed dispersers.
Heisteria comprises about 65 species in tropical America and 3 in tropical Africa. The wood of the other African Heisteria species is used for similar purposes as that of Heisteria parvifolia.
Heisteria trillesiana
Heisteria trillesiana Pierre is a shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall with bole branchless for up to 7 m and up to 40 cm in diameter, occurring in Cameroon and Gabon. Its wood is white to yellow with a pinkish hue, strong and hard but easy to split, and is probably used for similar purposes as that of Heisteria parvifolia. The oily seed kernels are eaten raw or boiled, but are said to cause colic.
Heisteria zimmereri
Heisteria zimmereri Engl. is a shrub or small tree up to 7(–15) m tall with straight bole up to 50 cm in diameter, occurring in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo and Cabinda (Angola). Its pinkish grey wood is used for house posts, joinery and utensils. The oily seed kernels are eaten raw or boiled. Several parts of the plant have applications in traditional medicine similar to Heisteria parvifolia.
Ecology
Heisteria parvifolia occurs in a variety of habitats, in the understorey of evergreen moist rainforest, coastal and riverine forest and primary upland forest, but also in seasonally flooded forest, swamp forest, Raphia forest and occasionally in thickets in savanna and secondary forest, from sea-level up to 1450 m altitude. In Ghana it has been reported to be strongly associated with acid, base-poor soils, and in Côte d’Ivoire it is locally abundant on sandy soils.
Management
Heisteria parvifolia is easily propagated by seed. There are about 1000 seeds per kg. Germination takes 2–4 weeks with a success rate of 50–60%.
Genetic resources
Heisteria parvifolia is very widespread and there are no indications that it is in danger of genetic erosion.
Prospects
Heisteria parvifolia is likely to remain a producer of timber and firewood of minor importance; also the fruit and seed kernels are likely to remain of local food use only. The seed oil may gain importance as a source of rare fatty acids. The many medicinal uses warrant further pharmacological research.
Major references
- Keay, R.W.J., 1958. Olacaceae. In: Keay, R.W.J. (Editor). Flora of West Tropical Africa. Volume 1, part 2. 2nd Edition. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. pp. 644–649.
* Lucas, G.L.L., 1968. Olacaceae. In: Milne-Redhead, E. & Polhill, R.M. (Editors). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 16 pp.
* Malaisse, F., N’Gasse, G. & Lognay, G., 2004. Heisteria parvifolia (Olacaceae), an underestimated shrub or small tree with oil-producing seeds. Systematics and Geography of Plants 74(1): 17–25.
* Nickrent, D.L., 1997. The parasitic plant connection: Erythropalaceae. [Internet] http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/ Erythropalaceae/ description.html. April 2012.
* Villiers, J.-F., 1973. Olacaceae. Flore du Cameroun. Volume 15. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. pp. 101–162.
Other references
- Aubréville, A., 1959. La flore forestière de la Côte d’Ivoire. Deuxième édition révisée. Tome premier. Publication No 15. Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 369 pp.
* de Koning, J., 1983. La forêt de Banco. Part 2: La Flore. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen 83–1. Wageningen, Netherlands. 921 pp.
* de la Mensbruge, G., 1966. La germination et les plantules des essences arborées de la forêt dense humide de la Côte d’Ivoire. Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 389 pp.
* Hall, J.B. & Swaine, M.D., 1981. Distribution and ecology of vascular plants in a tropical rain forest: forest vegetation of Ghana. W. Junk Publishers, the Hague, Netherlands. 383 pp.
* Hawthorne, W.D., 1995. Ecological profiles of Ghanaian forest trees. Tropical Forestry Papers 29. Oxford Forestry Institute, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. 345 pp.
* Irvine, F.R., 1961. Woody plants of Ghana, with special reference to their uses. Oxford University Press, London, United Kingdom. 868 pp.
* Louis, J. & Léonard, J., 1948. Olacaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., De Wildeman, E., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Lebrun, J., Louis, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 1. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 249–278.
* Villiers, J.-F., 1973. Olacacées. Flore du Gabon. Volume 20. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. pp. 101–162.
* Vivien, J. & Faure, J.J., 1985. Arbres des forêts denses d’Afrique Centrale. Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, Paris, France. 565 pp.
* Vivien, J. & Faure, J.J., 1996. Fruitiers sauvages d’Afrique: espèces du Cameroun. Ministère Français de la Coopération, Paris, France & CTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. 416 pp.
Author(s)
- L.P.A. Oyen, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
Correct citation of this article
Oyen, L.P.A., 2012. Heisteria parvifolia Sm. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 12 October 2025.
- See the Prota4U database.