- Family:
- Anacardiaceae R.Br.
- Genus:
- Sclerocarya Hochst.
Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst.
An African tree with juicy fruits that are much sought after by many local people, marula is a member of the Anacardiaceae, the same plant family to which mangos and cashews belong. Marula fruit is highly prized by many animals, from elephants to mongooses - although the story that they can get drunk on fermented fruit is probably just fiction. The fruit pulp is made into a popular alcoholic drink, known as maroela mampoer or amarula.

[FWTA]
Anacardiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958
- Morphology General Habit
- A savannah tree, to 40 ft. high,
- Morphology General Bark
- Grey fissured bark
- Morphology Branches
- Stout branchlets
- Morphology Leaves
- Pale foliage
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers greenish-white or reddish
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruits yellow, thick-skinned, resembling a small mango
- Morphology General Shoots
- Sterile regrowth shoots often with coarsely serrate leaflets
- Ecology
- In the drier savannah regions.
[KSP]
Kew Species Profiles
- General Description
-
An African tree with juicy fruits that are much sought after by many local people, marula is a member of the Anacardiaceae, the same plant family to which mangos and cashews belong. Marula fruit is highly prized by many animals, from elephants to mongooses - although the story that they can get drunk on fermented fruit is probably just fiction. The fruit pulp is made into a popular alcoholic drink, known as maroela mampoer or amarula.
- Species Profile
-
Geography and distribution
Marula is distributed from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to South Africa and is also found in Madagascar.
DescriptionOverview: A tree up to 18 m tall, with a rounded crown (the leafy part of the tree) and cracked, grey bark. Trees are either male or female.
Leaves: Divided into 7‒21 leaflets with separate points of attachment along a central axis.
Flowers: Small, whitish-purple to red, in tight groups on long stalks (male flowers) or in clusters of 1‒3 (female flowers).
Fruit: Yellow, round or egg-shaped, 2.5‒5.0 cm across, with a juicy flesh surrounding a hard stone.
UsesMarula fruit is prized by many African people. It has a delicate nutty flavour and contains a higher concentration of vitamin C than oranges. The stone is high in protein, and the seed oil contains antioxidants.
A decoction of the bark is used medicinally against malaria, scorpion and snake bites, dysentery, diarrhoea and haemorrhoids. An infusion of the fruit is used to bathe cattle with the aim of destroying any ticks present.
The wood is used for furniture, planks, carving and utensils. Rope is made from the inner bark, and the bark also yields a red-brown dye used in traditional crafts. The nectar attracts insect pollinators, and marula is often planted to attract pollinators to farms.
Millennium Seed Bank: Seed storageThe Millennium Seed Bank Partnership aims to save plant life worldwide, focusing on plants under threat and those of most use in the future. Seeds are dried, packaged and stored at a sub-zero temperature in our seed bank vault.
Sclerocarya birrea (marula) fruitsEight collections of marula seeds are held in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank based at Wakehurst in West Sussex.
See Kew's Seed Information Database for more information on Sclerocarya birrea seeds
CultivationMarula can be grown from seed or from sticks planted during the early rainy season. It can grow up to 1.5 m in a year but will not tolerate frost.
This species at KewSclerocarya birrea is grown in the behind-the-scenes Tropical Nursery at Kew.
Dried and alcohol-preserved specimens of Sclerocarya birrea are held in Kew's Herbarium, where they are available to researchers by appointment. The details of some of these specimens, including some images, can be seen online in Kew's Herbarium Catalogue.
Specimens of marula wood and bark and a box of marula-flavoured biscuits are held in Kew's Economic Botany Collection in the Sir Joseph Banks Building, where they are available to researchers by appointment.
- Distribution
- Madagascar
- Ecology
- Wooded grassland, woodland, bushland on rocky hills.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (LC) according to IUCN Red List criteria; widespread and locally common.
- Hazards
-
None known.
[FTEA]
Anacardiaceae, J. O. Kokwaro (University of Nairobi). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1986
- Morphology General Habit
- A spreading deciduous tree up to 18 m. high; bole pale grey, widely reticulate and flaking in small or large scales.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaves variable, 7–37-foliolate, 10–38 cm. long; rachis semicylindric, grooved above, glabrous; leaflets round, ovate, obovate, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 0.8–9(–11) cm. long, 0.7–3.5(6) cm. broad, acuminate or cuspidate to obtuse or apiculate at the apex, asymmetric and slightly cuneate or rounded at the base, margin entire to dentate-serrate (especially on new outgrowths), lateral ones sessile or with petiolules up to 3 cm. long, the terminal petiolule up to 5 cm. long, membranous to semicoriaceous, glabrous; midrib prominent beneath; lateral nerves distinct on both sides and impressed or slightly raised and reticulate beneath.
- sex Male
- Male inflorescences 7–22 cm. long; peduncle puberulous; bracts ovate, ± 2 mm. long by 1.5 mm. broad, obtuse, puberulous or glabrous. Male flowers:sepals ± 2 mm. long and broad; petals oblong-ovate, 4–6 mm. long, 3–4 mm. broad, obtuse, yellow to dark red with cream margins; filaments ± 3 mm. long; anthers 1–1.5 mm. long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Female inflorescences shorter, usually 1 or 2(–3)-flowered; peduncle and pedicels thickened during fruiting stage; sepals and petals similar to ♂; staminodes present; ovary subglobose. Male inflorescences 7–22 cm. long; peduncle puberulous; bracts ovate, ± 2 mm. long by 1.5 mm. broad, obtuse, puberulous or glabrous. Male flowers:sepals ± 2 mm. long and broad; petals oblong-ovate, 4–6 mm. long, 3–4 mm. broad, obtuse, yellow to dark red with cream margins; filaments ± 3 mm. long; anthers 1–1.5 mm. long.
- sex Female
- Female inflorescences shorter, usually 1 or 2(–3)-flowered; peduncle and pedicels thickened during fruiting stage; sepals and petals similar to ♂; staminodes present; ovary subglobose.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Drupe obovoid, 3–3.5 cm. in diameter, yellow and with a very juicy mesocarp; stone obovoid, 2–3 cm. long, 2.5 cm. in diameter.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seed 1.5–2 cm. long, 0.4–0.8 cm. wide.
Native to:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Senegal, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
- English
- Marula
Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1, 1980 | Ern, H. [2427], Togo | K000452137 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1980 | Ern, H. [3084], Togo | K000452135 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1980 | Ern, H. [2420], Togo | K000452136 | No | ||
Mar 1, 1969 | Virgo, K.J. [15], Nigeria | K000452133 | No | ||
Jan 1, 1965 | Morton, J.K. [4223], Ghana | K000452128 | No | ||
Bally, P.R.O. [5443], Kenya | 11487.000 | No | |||
Tweedie, E.M. [3408], Uganda | 30525.000 | No | |||
Ash, J. [1599], Ethiopia | 34534.000 | No | |||
Hoyle, A.C. [602], Sudan | 9847.000 | No | |||
Heudelot, D. [1828], Senegal | K000423407 | Yes | |||
Schimper [1575], Ethiopia | K000423408 | Yes | |||
Ethiopia | K000423409 | Yes | |||
Sihronen, J. [130], Burkina Faso | K000452126 | No | |||
Kitson, A. [649], Ghana | K000452130 | No | |||
Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. [4331], Burkina Faso | K000452127 | No | |||
Kitson, A. [839], Ghana | K000452131 | No | |||
Schimper [610], Ethiopia | K000423410 | Yes | |||
Holtz [1064], Tanzania | K000423403 | Yes | |||
Espirito Santo, J. [2504], Guinea-Bissau | K000452123 | No | |||
Tutin, C.E.G. [22], Senegal | K000452125 | No | |||
Chevalier, A.J.B. [1207], Mali | K000452124 | No | |||
Wit, P. [51168], Nigeria | K000452134 | No | |||
Kitson, A. [653], Ghana | K000452129 | No | |||
Dalziel, J.M. [120], Ghana | K000452138 | No | |||
Onochie, C.F.A. [23352], Nigeria | K000452132 | No |
First published in Flora 27(Bes. Beil.): 1 (1844)
Accepted by
- Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
- Barry, J. P. & Celles, J.S. (1991). Flore de Mauritanie 1: 1-359. Centre Regional de Documentation Pedagogique, Nice.
- Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.
- Boudet, G., Lebrun, J.P. & Demange, R. (1986). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali: 1-465. Etudes d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux.
- Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 3: 1-89. ORSTROM, Bangui.
- Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1989 publ. 1990). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 3: 1-659. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
- Hutchinson, J., Dalziel, J.M. & Keay, R.W.J. (1954-1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 1-828.
- Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.
- Kalema, J. & Beentje, H. (2012). Conservation checklist of the trees of Uganda: 1-235. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Kokwaro, J.O. (1986). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Anacardiaceae: 1-59.
- Lebrun, J.-P., Audru, J., Gaston, A. & Mosnier, M. (1972). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Tchad Méridional: 1-289. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Lebrun, J.p., Toutain, B., Gaston, A. & Boudet, G. (1991). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Burkina Faso: 1-341. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
- Mannheimer, C.A. & Curtis, B.A. (eds.) (2009). Le Roux and Müller's field guide to the trees and shrubs of Namibia, rev. ed.: 1-525. Macmillan Education Namibia, Windhoek.
- Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.
- Peyre de Fabregues, B. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1976). Catalogue des Plantes Vascularies du Niger: 1-433. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
Literature
Kew Species Profiles
- Beentje, H. J. (1994). Kenya Trees, Shrubs and Lianas. National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi.
- Coates Palgrave, K. (2002). Trees of Southern Africa, 3rd Edition. Struik, Cape Town, Johannesburg.
- Kokwaro, J. O. (1986). Anacardiaceae. In: Flora of Tropical East Africa, ed. R. M. Polhill. Balkema, Rotterdam.
- Sacande, M., Sanou, L. & Beentje, H. J. (2012). Guide de Terrain des Arbres de Burkina Faso. Kew Publishing, Kew.
- Wickens, G. E. (1995). Potential Edible Nuts/Edible Nuts (Non-wood Forest Products 5). Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome.
- Wyk, B-E. van, Oudtshoorn, B. van & Gericke, N. (1997).
Medicinal Plants of South Africa. Briza, Pretoria.
Flora of West Tropical Africa
- Chev. Bot. 157.
- F.T.A. 1: 449
- in Flora 27, Bes. Beil. 1 (1844)
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
- Barry, J. P. & Celles, J.S. (1991). Flore de Mauritanie 1: 1-359. Centre Regional de Documentation Pedagogique, Nice.
- Boudet, G., Lebrun, J.P. & Demange, R. (1986). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali: 1-465. Etudes d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux.
- Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 3: 1-89. ORSTROM, Bangui.
- Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Hutchinson, J., Dalziel, J.M. & Keay, R.W.J. (1954-1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 1-828.
- Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.
- Kalema, J. & Beentje, H. (2012). Conservation checklist of the trees of Uganda: 1-235. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Kokwaro, J.O. (1986). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Anacardiaceae: 1-59.
- Lebrun, J.-P., Audru, J., Gaston, A. & Mosnier, M. (1972). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Tchad Méridional: 1-289. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Lebrun, J.p., Toutain, B., Gaston, A. & Boudet, G. (1991). Catalogue des Plantes Vasculaires du Burkina Faso: 1-341. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
- Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
- Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.
- Peyre de Fabregues, B. & Lebrun, J.-P. (1976). Catalogue des Plantes Vascularies du Niger: 1-433. Institut d' Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons Alfort.
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Cufod., Enumeratio Plantarum Aethiopiae Spermatophyta (Supplement in Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux.) p. 467 (1958).
- Dale & Greenway, Kenya Trees and Shrubs p. 30, fig. 6 (1961).
- Engl., A. Engler & K. Prantl, Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien III, 5: 152 (1892).
- Exell & Mendonça in Consp. Fl. Angol. 2: 130 (1954).
- F. W. Andr., The Flowering Plants of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 2: 351, fig. 131 (1952)
- Hochst. in Flora 27, Bes. Beil.: 1 (1844).
- J.P.M. Brenan, Check-lists of the Forest Trees and Shrubs of the British Empire no. 5, part II, Tanganyika Territory p. 38 (1949).
- Keay, Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 729, fig. 199 (1958).
- Oliv. in Flora of Tropical Africa 1: 449 (1868).
- W.J. Eggeling, Indigenous Trees of the Uganda Protectorate, ed. 2: 14, fig. 3 (1952).
- van der Veken in Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi, 9: 67 (1960).
-
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of West Tropical Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
-
Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
-
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
-
Kew Species Profiles
Kew Species Profiles
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0