Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Gmelina arborea - Comb Tree, Snapdragon Tree, Tall Beachberry

Edible Portion: Seeds, Fruit, Flowers - Flavouring, Leaves

A tree which loses its leaves. It grows to 10-25 m high. The trunk is erect and the branches are horizontal. The bark is greyish brown. The bark peels off in thin flakes. Young parts are covered with silky hairs. The leaves have stalks. The leaves are 10-20 cm long by 7.5-14.5 cm wide. They are broadly oval and have a wedge shaped base. The leaves underneath are covered with hairs. The flowers are brown or yellow. The grow in loose flower clusters at the ends of branches. These are about 25 cm long. The fruit is fleshy and with a hard covering over the seed. It is oval and yellow outside when ripe. It has 1-2 oblong seeds. The fruit pulp is edible.