i Parkia biglobosa - School of Forest Resources & Environmental ...

observed several baboons in the park feeding on the green pods. The baboons scramble
up the tree and bring down the pods to the ground to eat. Throughout West Africa,
Parkia biglobosa pods are favored foods of chimpanzees, baboons, and other primates
(Hopkins 1983).
As the fruits mature they darken to a red-brown or brown color and the hulls of
the pods become hardened, smooth, and woody. The length of the pod ranges between
12-35 cm and the width is between 15-25 mm. The pod is sub-cylindrical and
compressed laterally in shape. Each pod contains 5 – 20 seeds, embedded in the spongy,
yellow endocarp (Hall et al. 1997). The spongy endocarp is called dobulong in Nankani,
and dozim in Nigeria. The pulp contains up to 60% carbohydrates, 10-24% of which is
sucrose, and 291 mg of Vitamin C per 100 g of dawadawa (Campbell-Platt 1980). The
pulp is at first white turning to bright yellow as the pods mature. The pulp is a beneficial
food source in the middle of the dry season and is used throughout West Africa.
Seed characteristics
P. biglobosa seeds number 5 - 20 per pod. The individual brown, smooth seeds
are oval, 0.9 –1.5 cm long by 0.8 – 1.1 cm wide and weigh 0.25 grams each. Each seed
consists of 30% testa and 70% green cotyledons. The seeds constitute 22% of the fruit,
while the pod case is 42% and the pulp is 36% (Campbell-Platt 1980). The thick seed
coat protects the seed for the natural conditions of the savanna; extreme heat, low
moisture, drought, and digestive juices of ruminants and primates (Tybirk 1991).
The hard seed coat or testa prevents seed germination. Germination of the seed
occurs after the seed coat becomes permeable. Natural germination can occur from
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