Using marcotting technique for fruit development in the African pear Dacryodes Edulis

LOCAL NAMES English (native pearbush butter treeAfrican plumAfrican pearAfrican palm); French (safoutierprunieratanga) BOTANIC DESCRIPTION Dacryodes edulis is a medium-sized evergreen tree attaining a height of 18-40 m in the forest but not exceeding 12 m in plantations. It is generally branched from low down with a deep dense crown. The bole is rather short slightly fluted 50-170 cm in diameter and more or less sinuous. The scented pale grey rough bark exudes a whitish resin. Buttresses are absent. Leaves compound imparipinnate with 5-8 pairs of leaflets; glossy above pubescent the pubescence disappearing with age. Flowers subtended 3 lobed conspicuous caducous brow bracts fragrant about 5 mm across trimerous except for the ovary arranged in dense ferruginous stellate-tomentose inflorescence; sepals 3 brown; petals 3 cream-yellow; stamens 6 white; disc 6 lobed surrounding the 2-celled glabrous ovary; inflorescence axis 10-42 cm long or longer deeply grooved. Fruits ellipsoidal drupes rather variable in size 4-12 x 3-6 cm resembling olives; exocarp thin pink becoming dark blue to violet at maturity; pulp firm and thin.

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