01.
A Bit of Botany
a little bit of botanical information on kola nut
description
Cola acuminata belongs to the Malvaceae family. It is an evergreen tree that grows to about 20 meters in height.
It has long, ovoid leaves which are pointed at both the
ends with a leathery texture.
The trees bear yellow flowers with purple
spots, and star-shaped fruit. Inside the fruit, about a dozen round or
square seeds can be found in a white seed shell.
The kola nut’s aroma is sweet
and rose-like. The first taste is bitter, but it sweetens upon chewing.
common names & nomenclature
The genus name Cola is a Latinized form of a West African name of the tree (Temne: kola, Mandingo: kolo).
Also known as:
kola vera, sterculia acuminate, kola seeds, gurru nuts, bissy nuts, cola seeds, guru nut