ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on the uses, folk medicine, chemistry, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of Owe Cola. Seeds, indistinguishable from true cola in appearance, are edible, though very bitter and considered unfit to eat. Nuts are used to make a beverage. They contain a fair proportion of caffeine. Wood of the tree is white and hard, and is used in S. Nigeria to make fetish images. Most trees are self-seeded in humid forests of tropical West Africa. Propagated by seed planted in site where desired. Fruits are gathered from trees in the wild in some districts. Occasionally trees are planted in villages; fruits are collected when ripe to make beverages. The fungus Irenopsis aburiensis has been reported on the tree. Husks, prunings, and fallen leaves can be used for energy production.
