Mondia whitei seed

Mondia whitei is endemic to South, Central, East and West Africa. In South Africa the plant is restricted to the coast and midlands in KwaZulu-Natal and the Limpopo Province with some records from Swaziland. From here the distribution extends north to the southern parts of Sudan and west as far as Senegal. Plants grow in dense bush in a variety of woodland and forest habitats. They have even been reported from shrubby swamp grassland. The species is frost intolerant and favours moist tropical and subtropical situations. The roots are chewed as an aphrodisiac. Mondia can also be used as a tea. It has a sweet vanilla-like flavor.