.JPG)
.JPG)
Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile
Desert date Thorn tree Egyptian balsam Lalob Heglig
Multi-branched, spiny shrub or small tree up to l0 m high, 30 cm in diameter Crown rounded, dense with long stout branchlets Leaves compound and spirally arranged on the shoots, dark green with 2 firm coriaceous leaflets Inflorescence a sessile or shortly pedunculate fascicle of a few flowers Fruit ellipsoid, up to 4 cm long, green, ripe fruit brown or pale brown with a brittle coat enclosing a brown or brown-green sticky pulp and a hard stone seed
The tree is managed through agroforestry. The pale to brownish yellow wood is used to make furniture and durable items such as tools, and is a low-smoke firewood that makes good . The tree fixes nitrogen. It is grown for its fruit in plantations in several areas. The bark yields fibers, the natural gums from the branches are used as glue.
The fleshy pulp of both unripe and ripe fruit is edible and can be eaten dried or fresh. The kernels produce an edible oil used for cooking. The oil remains stable when heated and has a high smoking point, and therefore its free fatty acid content is low. Its scent and taste are acceptable. The seed contains up to 50% oil.
Balanites roxburghii Planch, Agialid aegyptiaca (L) Kuntze
.The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and Mazhar Botanic Garden does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.
