The fruit is a drupe up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long, green at first, turning yellow and then purple-black as it ripens.

[2] Maesopsis eminii is native to much of West and Central Africa, its range extending from Liberia, the Congo and Angola to Uganda.

[3] It is a pioneer species, found in humid forests, colonising cleared areas and flourishing as secondary growth.

Where the trees become established the previous root mat disappears, the leaf litter becomes thinner, the soil pH rises and the biodiversity of ground plants and animals decreases.

It is used for poles, boxes and crates but is susceptible to damage by termites and to rotting when in continual contact with wet ground.

The tree is planted to provide shade for such crops as coffee, cocoa and cardamom, and is often grown domestically in gardens for the same purpose.