| Cynometra ananta | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Cynometra |
| Species: | C. ananta |
| Binomial name | |
| Cynometra ananta Hutch. & Dalziel | |
Cynometra ananta is a perennial large tree within the Fabaceae family. Its timber is traded under the name Apome in Ivory Coast and Ananta in Ghana.
The genus Cynometra is composed of pantropical species of which 25 is native to Tropical Africa. Some of the African species have fruit descriptions dissimilar to Cynometra species from the Asian continent and may yet form a distinct genera in the future. [1]
The species is a large tree capable of growing up to 36 meters tall and reaching a diameter of 120 cm, its trunk is straight, angular and rarely cylindrical, at the base of the tree are thin root buttresses up to 3 meters or more in height and extends along the ground. [1] At maturity, the bark is reddish-brown. Leaves, paripinnate compound arrangement, bifoliate, commonly having a pair of leaflets, stipules present, and about 1 mm long, petiole, 3–5 mm long. [1] Leaf-blade, alternate with a falcate outline and a glabrous surface; leaflets are 6–10 cm long and 1–4 cm wide with a coriaceous surface, acuminate or acute apex. [1] Fruit, oblong to obovate, flat, smooth brown pod, rounded at the base, widest around the middle, apiculate at the apex, 1-2 seeded. [1]
Largely occurs in dense and deciduous forests of West Africa but can also be found in semi-deciduous zones. Found in Ivory Coast, Liberia and Ghana. [2]
Wood is hard and heavy and is commonly used in heavy construction work, bridge and railway building. [2]
Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic realm of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with warm to hot moist climates caused by latitude and the tropical rain belt, the geology of areas, particularly mountain chains, and geographical relation to continental and regional scale winds impact the overall parts of areas, also, making the tropics run from arid to humid in West Africa. The area is experiencing negative effects of rapid human population growth.
Guibourtia ehie is an evergreen tree of the genus Guibourtia in the family Fabaceae, also known by the common names amazique, amazoué, hyedua, black hyedua, mozambique, ovangkol and shedua.
Pericopsis elata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is known by the common names African teak, afromosia, afrormosia, kokrodua and assamela.
The brown-cheeked hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Its natural habitats are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, plantations, and secondary growth forests. It is threatened by habitat destruction, as timber is harvested and the forests become increasingly fragmented.
Celtis africana, the white stinkwood, is a deciduous tree in the family Cannabaceae. Its habit ranges from a tall tree in forest to a medium-sized tree in bushveld and open country, and a shrub on rocky soil. It occurs in Yemen and over large parts of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common tree in the south and east of southern Africa, where the odour given off by freshly-cut green timber is similar to that of Ocotea bullata or Black Stinkwood.
Entandrophragma caudatum, or mountain mahogany, is a large Southern African tree belonging to the mahogany family and found in eastern and north eastern South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Angola, the Caprivi Strip region of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. Kew currently recognises 12 other species of Entandrophragma, all with a tropical and sub-tropical African distribution.
Distemonanthus benthamianus is a deciduous tree within the Fabaceae family. Occurs widely but sparsely in the forest regions of Tropical West and Central Africa, it is sometimes confused with Pericopsis laxiflora due to similar morphological features.
Annickia affinis is small to medium sized tree that grows up to 30m tall, it belongs to the Annonaceae family. Also known as the African yellow wood, it is widely used in Central Africa and parts of West Africa in the treatment of various diseases. Both Annickia affinis and Annickia chlorantha are widely studied and sometimes credited with the name Enantia chrlorantha.
Albizia altissima is a low branching tree within the Fabaceae family, it grows along river banks in the Lower and Upper Guinea forests..
Bridelia grandis is an evergreen tree within the Euphorbiaceae family, it occurs in secondary forests of Central and West Africa. Its wood is traded under the name Assas, a name it shares with Bridelia micrantha.
Piptadeniastrum africanum is a tall deciduous tree within the Fabaceae family, its timber is traded under the names, Dabema or Dahoma. It commonly occurs in freshwater swamp forests but can also be found further north.
Landolphi mannii is a liana within the Apocynaceae family. Its fruit, with significant lipid and iron content is consumed by locals and it is also a part of the diet the Mandrillus sphinx.
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.
Chrysophyllum africanum is a medium sized tree within the Sapotaceae family. It is sometimes known as the African Star Apple along with the closely related Chrysophyllum Albidum. Both species have similar leaf indumentum and are widespread in the Lower and Upper Guinea forest mosaic.
Anthonotha fragrans is a medium to large sized tree commonly found in the rainforest environments of West and Central Africa; it belongs to the Fabaceae family. Its sapwood exudes a white to creamy exudate.
Anthonotha macrophylla is a shrub to small understory tree within the Fabaceae family. It is endemic to the rain forest regions of West Africa and it is the most common of species within the Anthonotha genus in Africa.
Berlinia grandiflora is a small to medium sized three found in the West and West Central African region along riparian habitats or gallery forests habitat types.
Mammea africana is a medium to large sized tree within the family Calophyllaceae, it is also known as African mammee apple and its timber is traded under the trade name, Oboto. Mammea africana is found in evergreen and semi deciduous forests in West and Central Tropical Africa.
Sacoglottis gabonensis is a medium to large sized evergreen tree within the Humiriaceae family, it is the only species within the genus, Sacoglottis that is native to Tropical Africa. It occurs in rainforests or on sandy soils of Senegal eastwards to Angola in Central Africa. It is trade locally and known in some countries under the name, Ozouga.
Manilkara obovata is small to large sized evergreen tree within the Sapotaceae family. Its timber is sold under the name Nkunya in Uganda. The species has a wide distribution from Sierra Leone in West Africa moving east to Uganda in Eastern Africa and southwards to Zambia. It is also considered a variable species having different ecotypes.