Cylicomorpha is a plant genus consisting of two species that are native to the African tropics. They are the only African representatives of the Caricaceae,[1] and are consequently related to the papaya.
They have the habit of bottle trees,[2] and their soft, dilated trunks are armed with short conical spines. The leaves are digitately lobed.[3] They are strictly dioecious,[1] [2] and like all Caricaceae, produce abundant milky sap when damaged.[1] The inflorescences are axillary. The male panicles hold many flowers, while the female flowers are solitary or borne in small numbers on short racemes.[4]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| C. parviflora Urb. | eastern Kenya, Tanzania | |
| C. solmsii (Urb.) Urb. | Cameroon | |
They occur as tall-growing, pioneer plants in moist submontane habitats, where they are local but gregarious.[3] The western species, C. solmsii is locally threatened by clearance for agriculture and wood, and may be extinct at Mount Cameroon and at Barombi, Kumba.[3]
The fruit of both species are eaten by birds and primates.[1]