Magaria is a thorny shrub, resistant to droughts, that grows between the isohyets of 200 and 1000mm. It is a very productive tree with excellent edible use. It yields small, round fruits, red in color and very succulent. The pulp of these fruits is very rich in carbohydrates (80 % of the dry weight), vitamin C and calcium, with significant amounts of carotene, vitamin A, iron and phosphorus. The pulp also contains 7 to 12 % of proteines (of the dry weight). Inside the fruit is a grain which is also edible, containing 36 % proteins, 27 % lipids and 21 % carbohydrates. The leaves are consumed by livestock, but can be consumed by humans as well. While poor in proteins (7 % of dry weight), they are rich in lipids (27 % of dry weight), with a significant amount of linoleic acid, and high calcium.
The flowering season is after the rainy season, between October and November, and the fruits ripen during the cold season, from December to February. The tree has the reputation of yielding 80 to 130 kg of fruit per year in the Sahel.
The Sahelian variety of this species differs from the Asian ones. The fruits are much rounder, smaller and drier. This means that they are very useful for storage by drying and the loss of vitamin C during this process is modest. The dried pulp is easily turned into flour, which can be used in the making of bread or cookies. In Niger, bread made of magaria is a traditional dish, and two modern companies make cakes and biscuits from the pulp. The whole fruits are prized by the Sahelian population and easily sell on the local markets.
Out in the bush, where these trees are abundant, children spend their time eating the fruits and then cracking them in order to eat the seeds. Often these children do not suffer of malnutrition, a common problem in Niger. It indicates the strength this plant has to combat nutritional deficiencies among children and adults, if integrated into daily consumption.
