Thaumatococcus daniellii

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Thaumatococcus daniellii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Subclass: Zingiberidae
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Marantaceae
Genus: Thaumatococcus
Species: T. daniellii
Binomial name
Thaumatococcus daniellii
(Benn.) Benth.
Synonyms

Phrynium daniellii

Thaumatococcus daniellii is a species of tropical flowering plant known by several common names, including katamfe or katempfe, Yoruba soft cane, and African serendipity berry. It is known for being the natural source of thaumatin, an intensely sweet protein which is of interest in the development of sweeteners. This is a large rhizomatous flowering herb native to the rainforests of Ghana and surrounding African nations. It is also an introduced species in the rainforests of northern Australia. It grows three to four meters in height and has large papery leaves up to 46 centimeters long. It bears pale purple flowers and a soft fruit containing a few shiny black seeds. The fruit is covered in a fleshy red aril, which is the part that contains thaumatin. In its native range the plant has a number of uses besides flavoring. The sturdy leaf petioles are used as tools and building materials, the leaves are used to wrap food, and the leaves and seeds have a number of traditional medicinal uses.

This plant is sometimes called miracle fruit, but the unrelated species Synsepalum dulcificum is better known by that name.

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