Gambeya africana

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Gambeya africana
Gambeya africana.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Gambeya
Species:
G. africana
Binomial name
Gambeya africana
(A.DC.) Pierre (1891) [2]
Synonyms [2]
  • Chrysophyllum africanumA.DC. (1844)
  • Chrysophyllum africanum var. aubrevillei(Pellegr.) Aubrév. (1936)
  • Chrysophyllum africanum var. multinervatumDe Wild. (1926)
  • Chrysophyllum delevoyiDe Wild. (1926)
  • Chrysophyllum eduleHoyle (1932)
  • Chrysophyllum macrophyllumSabine (1824), nom. illeg.
  • Chrysophyllum omumuJ.D.Kenn. (1936), sphalm.
  • Gambeya africana var. aubrevilleiPellegr. (1931 publ. 1932)
  • Gambeya kaliAubrév. & Pellegr.(1961)
  • Planchonella africana(A.DC.) Baehni (1965)

Gambeya africana is a medium-sized species of tree in the family Sapotaceae. Along with the closely related species Gambeya albida , it is sometimes known as African star apple. [3] Both species have similar leaf indumentum and are widespread in the Lower and Upper Guinea forest mosaic. [4]

Contents

Description

Species reaches 25 meters in height, the trunk is straight, often grooved and angular with buttressed roots at the base. [5] Bark is greyish brown to dark brown with white latex exuding from slash. [6] Leaves simple and appear at the end of branches in tufts; petiole is 1.5-3.5 cm long, [7] the abaxial surface has dense and appressed hairs and varies in color from pale brown to reddish-brown, adaxial surface is glabrous; leaf-blade is elliptical to oblong, 15-35 cm long and 5-13 cm wide, with 18-26 primary nerves on each side spaced 1-2 cm apart. Fruit is ovoid to globular shaped, with up to 5 shiny brown elliptical seeds; the fruit is rounded at the base, pointed or rounded at apex, 2.3-3 cm in diameter and up to 7 cm long, [4] when ripe is it yellowish to orange colored. [6]

Distribution

Gambeya africana grows in West and Central Africa, from Guinea eastwards to Uganda and southwards to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cabinda. [2] It is commonly found in lowland rainforest vegetation, near rivers.

Uses

Latex is obtained from the tree bark and used for birdlime while the wood is often mixed with other African Gambeya species traded in the timber market. The fruit is edible though acidulous, while bark extracts are used in decoctions to improve digestion. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapotaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in around 65 genera. Their distribution is pantropical.

<i>Chrysophyllum cainito</i> Species of tree

Chrysophyllum cainito is a tropical tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is native to the Isthmus of Panama, where it was domesticated. It has spread to the Greater Antilles and the West Indies and is now grown throughout the tropics, including Southeast Asia. It grows rapidly and reaches 20 meters in height.

<i>Afzelia africana</i> Species of legume

Afzelia africana, the African mahogany, afzelia, lenke, lengue, apa, or doussi, is a Myrmecophyte tree species in the family Fabaceae.

<i>Annona senegalensis</i> Species of plant

Annona senegalensis, commonly known as African custard-apple, wild custard apple, wild soursop, abo ibobo, sunkungo, and dorgot is a species of flowering plant in the custard apple family, Annonaceae. The specific epithet, senegalensis, translates to mean "of Senegal", the country where the type specimen was collected.

<i>Celtis africana</i> Species of tree

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 Somaliland 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.

<i>Maesopsis</i> Genus of trees

Maesopsis eminii, the umbrella tree, is a species of tree in the family Rhamnaceae found in India and Africa. It is the only species in the genus Maesopsis. It is often grown as a plantation tree, and as a shade tree in coffee plantations and other crops. Birds and monkeys may disperse the seeds. Since this tree grows fast it is often used for regeneration of destroyed forest lands. Its timber is used for construction and firewood and its leaves for animal fodder.

<i>Strombosia pustulata</i> Species of rainforest tree in West and Central Africa

Strombosia pustulata is a species of tree in the family Olacaceae. It is native to the rainforests of tropical West and Central Africa. Common names for this tree include itako in Nigeria, afina in Ghana, poé in Abé spoken in Côte d'Ivoire and mba esogo in Equatorial Guinea.

<i>Annickia affinis</i> Species of plant

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.

Duguetia staudtii is a medium-sized evergreen tree within the Annonaceae family. Species is one of four within the genus Duguetia that is native to Africa.

Funtumia africana is a tree within the family Apocynaceae, it is one of two species within the genus Funtumia.

Osodendron altissimum, formerly known as Albizia altissima, is a low branching tree within the Fabaceae family, it grows along river banks in the Lower and Upper Guinean and Congolian forests of west and central Africa.

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.

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.

<i>Lannea microcarpa</i> Species of dioecious plant

Lannea microcarpa is a dioecious plant within the Anacardiaceae family. It is also called African grapes and occurs in the Sudan and Guinea savanna of West Africa from Senegal to Cameroon. The plant is used to dye basilan fini, a traditional cloth in a red and brown colour.

Anthonotha macrophylla is a shrub to small understory tree within the family Fabaceae. 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.

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.

<i>Sacoglottis gabonensis</i> Species of tree

Sacoglottis gabonensis, commonly known as bitterbark tree or cherry mahogany 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, another, guianensis Benth. being native to Amazonia. It occurs in rainforests or on sandy soils of Senegal eastwards to Angola in central Africa. It is traded 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.

Entandrophragma angolense, called the tiama, is a tree species with alternate, pinnately compound leaves that are clustered at the ends of branches. It is within the family Meliaceae and has a wide distribution area, occurring in moist semi-deciduous and evergreen forest regions of Tropical Africa from Sierra Leone to Uganda.

<i>Ficus laurifolia</i> Species of flowering plants

Ficus laurifolia is an hemi-epiphytic species that sometimes grows as a shrub or liana or as a tree, the species is within the family Moraceae.

References

  1. ↑ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. 2019. Chrysophyllum africanum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T61961728A143719189. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T61961728A143719189.en. Accessed 4 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Gambeya africana (A.DC.) Pierre. Plants of the World Online . Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Council, National Research; Affairs, Policy and Global; Cooperation, Development, Security, and (2008-01-25). Lost Crops of Africa: Volume III: Fruits. National Academies Press. p. 321. ISBN   978-0-309-16443-6.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 Hemsley, J. H. (1966). "Notes on African Sapotaceae". Kew Bulletin. 20 (3): 461–510. doi:10.2307/4108249. JSTOR   4108249.
  5. 1 2 Timbers. D. Louppe, A. A. Oteng-Amoako, M. Brink, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Wageningen: PROTA Foundation. 2008. p. 158. ISBN   978-90-5782-209-4. OCLC   299747129.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. 1 2 Voorhoeve, A. G. (1979). Liberian high forest trees : a systematic botanical study of the 75 most important or frequent high forest trees, with reference to numerous related species (2nd impr ed.). Wageningen: Pudoc. p. 344. ISBN   90-220-0701-4. OCLC   63303450.
  7. ↑ "Gambeya africana in Global Plants on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
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