Chrysophyllum Albidum

Chrysophyllum africanum (commonly known as African star apple) is a forest fruit tree commonly found throughout tropical Africa. It is closely related to the African star apple (Chrysophyllum africanum) which is also common throughout West Africa. Some schools of thought feel that they may just be a variety of the same species. Also in the family is the purple star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito).

Amongst the Yoruba of Nigeria, it is called Agbalumo while it is called udala (udara) in the Igbo, with the usage of the latter term, coincidentally, also permeating across much of southern Nigeria (i.e.,further east of Akoko-Ondo) the northern (Hausa-Fulani) parts of the country. One local enduring sobriquet is derived from the Yoruba agbalumo, i.e., ‘agbaluma,’ and is used in certain parts of Nigeria. The inherent sweetness of a child (or person of especially-seasoned cognisance/age who otherwise displays certain amiability-desirable characteristics representative of children and/or well-adjusted adults, e.g., well-roundedness, joviality, unassuming understanding) has been likened to the fruit in Igbo, as ‘udala nwannu.’