Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Cola acuminata - Cola Nut
Edible Portion: Seeds, Herb, Flavouring, Fruit, Leaves
A medium sized tree. It grows 13-20 m tall. In cultivation it is usually 6-9 m high. It commonly has low branches. The bark is dark green or grey. The small branches are smooth. The leaves are near the tip of the branches. They are 7-22 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. The tip is usually twisted downwards. The leaves are leathery and dark green. The flowers are in irregular branched clusters. They are white or cream with red inside. The fruit has a rough, mottled skin. They are made up of 5 cells. The fruit can be 20 cm long and 6 cm wide. They occur singly. It has thin white flesh. The seeds are large, flat and bright red. There are up to 14 seeds. When the seed coat is removed the seeds split into four pieces.