Local Pear| Native Pear (Ube) seedling
Description
African Pear seedling, Dacryodes species are evergreen; perennial trees belong to the family Buseraseae. Safou Dacryodes edulis, also known as native pear, butter fruit, Ube and Eleme, African Pear or African Plum, is an oliferous fruit tree found in equatorial and humid tropic climates. The plant originates from central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea and spreads nearly all over the western coast of Africa.
Product Features
It is highly nutritious; the edible pulp contains ash (10.8%), fibre (17.9%), oil (31.9%), protein (25.9%), energy (444.7 kcal/100 g), carbohydrate (13.5%) and moisture content (12.04%).
African Pear seedling grows in the humid tropics.
The bark is thin and the leaves pinnate with leaflets measuring between 3-4 cm by 2-3 cm.
The plant is dioecious and the female plants do not flower at the same time, so pollen storage is necessary to control pollination
The plant flowers between May and October and fruits about 5-6 years after planting (Dalziel, 1987).
The immature fruits vary from orange to red in colour but turn blue-purple at maturity.
The fruit consists of a large seed surrounded by a thin mesocarp.
Nutritional Benefits of African Pear Seedling
African pear seedlings grow into trees that produce fruits that are rich in vitamins and minerals, that play important roles in controlling the blood sugar level. It hinders the spiking of blood glucose levels which causes diabetes.
Secondly, it is a pregnancy super fruit because it contains natural folic acid. The presence of folic acid in bush pears aids in preventing deficiencies in a baby’s brain and spinal cord.
Cancer Prevention. Pear is known as a hypoallergenic fruit, that is, fruit that is least likely to cause allergic reactions in humans.
The African pear also contains a lot of calcium and phosphorus; minerals found mainly in the bones and teeth of our body.