Bitter cola

Cola nitida, the kola nut or bitter cola, is an evergreen tree of the mallow family (formerly Sterculiaceae) native to the rainforests of West Africa and widely cultivated across the tropics. It reaches 12-20 m with a dense, spreading crown and alternate, simple, leathery, oblong to elliptic leaves that are glossy dark green with prominent veins. The star-shaped flowers lack true petals and consist of a cream to yellowish, often red- or purple-blotched calyx, borne in axillary panicles; the species is functionally polygamous. The large woody fruit is a cluster of several boat-shaped, knobbly follicles, each splitting to reveal several seeds. The seeds (the kola 'nuts') are pink, red or white and, unlike the related Cola acuminata, split into only two cotyledons. Rich in caffeine and theobromine, the seeds are chewed throughout West Africa as a stimulant and have deep social and ceremonial importance.