BY MICHELINA ANDREUCCI
A tree held in high esteem is the Marula, Mupfura, Mutsomo (Sclerocarya Birrea), sometimes also called the Elephant Cider Tree.
It is an African botanical treasure steeped in culture, romance and legend. Growing only in sub-equatorial Africa; Marula trees grow abundantly in the wild in Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The beautiful, leafy Marula trees are drought resistant, and support an extensive eco-system. The trees stand tall reaching between 9 to 18 metres in height and crowned in leaves, provide generous shade.
Their cooling canopies provide habitats for a range of fauna, while the fruit is consumed by elephants, rhino, warthog, kudu, baboons, vervet monkeys, and zebra, as well as porcupine and mizongororo /itshongololo (millipedes). The leaves also are eaten by a range of browsers, including domestic cattle.
In summer from mid-January to mid-March, the trees often have a surfeit harvest of fruit, producing approximately 500kg of the juicy yellow-skinned marula fruit which are rich in Vitamin ‘C’, potassium, calcium, magnesium, as well as protein.
Marula trees an important part of African community life and folklore. Known as the fruit of Kings and Lords the marula fruit is not only a favourite sustenance amongst elephants; it is also revered as the food of kings amongst many sub-Saharan peoples.
Many communities present offerings of marula brew to the spirits of their ancestors, or to honour their leaders.
Often the trees serve as meeting places for village gatherings and the spiritual centre for ritual activity. Amongst some tribes they are known as ‘marriage’ trees and even today nuptials are conducted under their umbrella-shaped branches.
Archaeological evidence found dating back to approximately 10 000 BC show traces of marula kernels in the ancient Pomongwe Cave in the Matobo Hills in Bulawayo. Here over 60 edible species of wild fruit trees of have been identified – the Marula fruit trees are particularly prolific fruit-bearers.
In its quintessence modern man has created delectable liquor known as Amarula; A produced of South Africa, the trees are protected under South African law by strict policies to ensure environmental, ecological and socially-sustainable harvesting.
Sheltered in the smooth, light brown oval-shaped seed inside each marula fruit is its miraculous kernels. Rich in oil, antioxidants and more the medicinal properties of the Marula are multi-fold.
The oil-rich kernels are an essential source of nutrition and have anti-oxidant and moisturising properties. The oil is often also mixed with other foodstuffs, while the kernels are eaten whole or ground into porridge.
The Marula bark contains antihistamines used for a variety of uses, from treating stomach ailments to remedies for rheumatism and insect bites. The antidote for skin infections, are used by some communities as antidote for skin infections, relish and as an antidote for skin infections, spider bites, burns and heartburn. An infusion made from the fruit is used to sluice tick-infested livestock.
The thick-walled, seed or nut is extremely tough to crack. The extraction of the inner kernels is a laborious task requiring skilfulness; it involves placing the nut on a stone slab and hitting it with another hard stone – it can take an entire day to fill one peanut butter jar with the kernels; monkeys however, are adept at breaking open the kernels
When putrefied the Marula has slight intoxicating qualities. After feasting on Marula monkeys often get intoxicated, fall asleep and fall out of tree branches, ready prey for lurking leopards. Elephants are also known to get inebriated on this exotic fruit.
The dried seeds were often strung together to make necklaces and offered as a love token.
Michelina Andreucci is a Zimbabwean-Italian researcher and a published author in her field. For Comments E-mail: linamanucci@gmail.com
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