Lophira lanceolata

Last updated

Lophira lanceolata
Lophira alata Naturl. Pflanzenfam. III. 6, fig. 74.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Ochnaceae
Genus: Lophira
Species:
L. lanceolata
Binomial name
Lophira lanceolata

Lophira lanceolata, commonly known as the dwarf red ironwood, [2] is a species of tree in the family Ochnaceae which is native to tropical West and Central Africa. The timber is used for heavy construction, an edible oil can be extracted from the seeds and various parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine.

Contents

Description

Lophira lanceolata is a small deciduous tree growing to a height of 16 m (52 ft) or more. The tree has a narrow crown and steeply ascending branches, and forms suckers readily. [1] The trunk is usually unbranched to around 8 m (26 ft) and can reach a diameter of about 70 cm (28 in). The bark is grey and corky, coming away in coarse flakes. The leaves are clustered at the end of the twigs. They are alternate, narrowly oblong, simple and entire, with rounded or notched apexes. The new foliage is pink or red at first. The inflorescence take the form of a loose panicle at the end of the shoot. The individual flowers are bisexual, scented and white, with parts in fives. This is followed by a partially woody, conical achene surrounded by a winged calyx, containing a single, large seed. [2] The tree is very similar to the closely related Lophira alata but is smaller, has narrower leaves with longer stalks, and larger seeds. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Lophira lanceolata is found in tropical West and Central Africa, its range extending from Senegal to Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It grows at altitudes of up to around 1,500 m (5,000 ft) on wooded savanna, particularly on the edges of larger forested areas where it may grow thickly. Established trees are tolerant of wildfires but saplings are likely to be damaged. [2]

Uses

The timber of this tree is dense and is used in bridge building and other heavy construction work, and for tool-making. It burns well as firewood and can be used to make charcoal. The fragrant flowers are attractive to honey bees. The seeds can be eaten, but are mainly used for extraction of a vegetable oil called "meni oil" which is used in the manufacture of foodstuffs, soap and cosmetics. The foliage is used as fodder for livestock and in Cameroon, edible caterpillars are cultivated on the leaves. [2] The seed oil, leaves, sap, bark and roots have multiple uses in traditional medicine. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mammea americana</i> Species of tree

Mammea americana, commonly known as mammee, mammee apple, mamey, mamey apple, Santo Domingo apricot, tropical apricot, or South American apricot, is an evergreen tree of the family Calophyllaceae, whose fruit is edible. It has also been classified as belonging to the family Guttiferae Juss. (1789), which would make it a relative of the mangosteen.

<i>Mesua ferrea</i> Species of tree

Mesua ferrea, the Ceylon ironwood, or cobra saffron, is a species in the family Calophyllaceae. This slow-growing tree is named after the heaviness and hardness of its timber. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental due to its graceful shape, grayish-green foliage with a beautiful pink to red flush of drooping young leaves, and large, fragrant white flowers. It is native to wet, tropical parts of Sri Lanka, India, southern Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Philippines, Malaysia and Sumatra, where it grows in evergreen forests, especially in river valleys. In the eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats in India it grows up to altitudes of 1,500 m (4,900 ft), while in Sri Lanka up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is national tree of Sri Lanka, state tree of Mizoram and state flower of Tripura.

<i>Moringa oleifera</i> Species of flowering tree

Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree, and ben oil tree or benzolive tree.

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

Irvingia gabonensis is a species of African trees in the genus Irvingia, sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, bush mango, dika, odika, modika, Òro, andok or ogbono. They bear edible mango-like fruits, and are especially valued for their fat- and protein-rich nuts.

<i>Khaya anthotheca</i> Species of tree

Khaya anthotheca, with the common name East African mahogany, is a large tree species in the Meliaceae family, native to tropical Africa.

<i>Moringa stenopetala</i> Species of tree

Moringa stenopetala, commonly known as the African Moringa or cabbage tree, is a deciduous tree in the flowering plant genus Moringa, native to Kenya and Ethiopia. A drought-resistant species, it is characterized by its bottle-shaped trunk, long twisted seed pods, and edible leaves likened to cabbage, from which its common name is derived. M. stenopetala is extirpated in the wild in Ethiopia, though still grown there as a crop on the terraces of the Ethiopian Highlands, mainly in the Konso region.

<i>Cola nitida</i> Species of flowering plant

Cola nitida is a species of plant belonging to the family Malvaceae.

<i>Erythrina berteroana</i> Species of legume

Erythrina berteroana is a species of small deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae. It is found in Mexico, Central America and the northern part of South America. Common names include elequeme, gallito, machete, pernila de casa, pito and poró de cerca. It is a common tree in the drier parts of its range and has many traditional uses.

<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.

Erythrophleum ivorense is a species of leguminous tree in the genus Erythrophleum found in the rainforests of tropical West and Central Africa. The tree has many uses; the timber is used for heavy construction, for making charcoal and for firewood, the bark is used for tanning and in traditional medicine, and both bark and seeds are poisonous and used for hunting.

<i>Lannea welwitschii</i> Species of tree

Lannea welwitschii is a species of tree in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa. The timber is used to make furniture and utensils and for many other purposes, the fruits can be eaten, and the bark is used to produce a dye, for making rope and in traditional medicine.

Daniellia oliveri is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to tropical West and Central Africa and is commonly known as the African copaiba balsam tree, or the West African copal tree.

Gilbertiodendron dewevrei is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical rain forests in Central Africa. It is often the dominant tree species of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. The timber is traded as limbali, and is used for construction, flooring and railway sleepers. It is also used for making boats, furniture, tool handles and joinery and for making charcoal.

<i>Brachystegia laurentii</i> Species of legume

Brachystegia laurentii, a plant in the family Fabaceae, is a species of large tree found in western Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It has a dense, umbrella-shaped crown. The wood is known as bomanga and has many uses in building and construction.

Erythrophleum couminga is a species of leguminous tree in the genus Erythrophleum. It is endemic to the western coastal region of Madagascar, occurring in the Baie de Baly National Park. The bark is used in traditional medicine and the branches are used for fencing posts.

Pouteria adolfi-friedericii is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae, a tall, tropical forest tree. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The specific name adolfi-friedericii was given in honour of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, a German explorer in Africa. Its trade name muna is taken from Gĩkũyũ mũna.

Parkia bicolor, the African locust-bean, is a species of flowering plant, a tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is native to tropical West and Central Africa. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests, swampland, woodland and savannah.

Drypetes gerrardii is a species of small tree or large shrub in the family Putranjivaceae. Common names include forest ironplum, bastard white ironwood, and forest ironwood. It is native to tropical and subtropical central and eastern Africa. It was first described in 1920 by the English botanist John Hutchinson, who named it after the English botanist William Tyrer Gerrard who collected plants and seeds in southern Africa in the 1860s.

Guibourtia tessmannii is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. It is a medium to large-sized tree and is native to Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The timber has an attractive appearance and has many uses, and the bark is used in traditional medicine.

<i>Barringtonia edulis</i> species of plant

Barringtonia edulis is a species of tree with edible fruits from the southwestern Pacific region, being found on Fiji and Vanuatu. Common names include cut nut, pao nut, boxfruit tree, heart tree, and yum-yum tree.

References

  1. 1 2 Fern, Ken. "Lophira lanceolata". Tropical Plants Database. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Volume 14 of Plant resources of tropical Africa: Vegetable oils. PROTA. 2007. pp. 115–117. ISBN   978-90-5782-191-2.
  3. Lemmens, R.H.M.J.; Louppe, D.; Oteng-Amoako, A.A. Timbers 2. PROTA. pp. 437–443. ISBN   978-92-9081-495-5.