Vitellaria paradoxa, commonly known as shea tree, shi tree, or vitellaria, is a tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is the only species in the genus Vitellaria, and is indigenous to Africa.
Image: Vitellaria paradoxa MS 6563
Image: Vitellaria paradoxa MS4195
Preparing a sandwich with fried shea tree caterpillars at the Boromo bus station in Burkina Faso.
Leaves of a shea nut tree
The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in around 65 genera. Their distribution is pantropical.
Image: Pouteria sapota marmalade tree desc leaf cluster from DC1
Image: Pouteria sapota La Havane
Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia in Narsapur, Medak district, India