| Annickia polycarpa | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Annonaceae |
| Genus: | Annickia |
| Species: | A. polycarpa |
| Binomial name | |
| Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas ex I.M.Turner | |
Annickia polycarpa is a small to medium-sized tree found in evergreen forests of West and Central Africa, it is within the Annonaceae family. It is also called the African Yellow wood.
Annickia polycarpa is a small to medium-sized tree capable of reaching 20 meters tall and 40 cm in diameter. [1] [2] Bark is usually smooth and occasionally, somewhat rough, fairly thick, with fibrous inner bark, black to greenish in color. [2] Petiole is sparsely pubescent, 3–8 mm long; leaf-blade is oblong, elliptical or obovate in outline with a papery surface, 5–27 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, acuminate at the apex and rounded at the base, covered with stellate hairs below. [1] Solitary flowers on young shoots, pedicel is 0.9-1.9 cm long; sepal: three, triangular shaped, pubescent on the outside, inside is slightly pubescent, petals: yellow when fresh, elliptic in outline, up to 3 cm long. [1] Flowering season is between July and August.
Commonly occurs in the forest regions of West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone to Cameroon; in Ivory Coast, it grows as an understorey in dense forests. [3]
Bark extracts shows presence of quinolic and isoquinolic class of alkaloids; compounds extracted from leaves and bark of the species have been reported to contain corydaldine, aporphinoids, berberines and protoberberine groups of alkaloids, . [4]
Bark extracts are used by herbalists in traditional treatment of malaria related symptoms, ulcers and leprous spots. [4] Stem bark is used for constructing huts, and a yellow dye obtained from the species is used for dyeing cloths, mats and leather. [3] [2] [5]
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