Ricinodendron
Encyclopedia
Ricinodendron is a plant
genus
in the family
Euphorbiaceae
. It includes Njangsa
(Ricinodendron heudelotii).
The mongongo
fruit was previously considered a member of this genus but has since been placed into a genus of its own.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
. It includes Njangsa
Njangsa
The term Njangsa refers to the oily seeds of a tree, Ricinodendron heudelotii, found in tropical West Africa. It is also known as Munguella , Essessang , Bofeko , Wama , Okhuen , Kishongo , Djansang, Essang, Ezezang and Njasang...
(Ricinodendron heudelotii).
The mongongo
Mongongo
Formerly known as Ricinodendron rautanenii, the mongongo tree is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae and of the monotypic genus Schinziophyton. A large, spreading tree, the mongongo reaches 15-20 metres tall. It is found on wooded hills and amongst sand dunes, and is associated with the...
fruit was previously considered a member of this genus but has since been placed into a genus of its own.