A common, sometimes gregarious, medium to large tree with an irregular, often fluted bole and buttresses, preferring moist sites. Bark brown, fissured, and scaly; the buttresses traversely ridged or coiled; slash thin, fibrous, brittle, red brown. Leaves simple, alternate, keeled, with decurrent margin. Fruit smooth, about 4 cm, containing a bulbous nut. Fruits when ripe eaten by elephants (they can get drunk from the fermenting sugars), who thus help or are instrumental in spreading the seeds. See also PROTA database.