Vitellaria

Vitellaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapotaceae, native to Africa. It includes the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), which is important for its fruit, the source of shea butter.

Description

Vitellaria is a small genus of trees or shrubs. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple broad lanceolate, 8–30 cm long and 4–5 cm broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in dense inflorescences; each individual flower is small, with five creamy white petals. The fruit is a drupe containing a single seed.

Species

There are two recognized species in the genus Vitellaria:

• Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn.
• Vitellaria nilotica (Kotschy) A.Robyns

Uses

The most well-known product of the Vitellaria genus is shea butter, which is derived from the fruit of Vitellaria paradoxa. Shea butter is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and salve. It is also edible and is used in food preparation in some African countries.

External links

• World Agroforestry Centre: Vitellaria paradoxa
• Plants of the World Online: Vitellaria

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