Plukenetia conophora

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Plukenetia conophora
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Plukenetia
Species:
P. conophora
Binomial name
Plukenetia conophora
Synonyms

Tetracarpidium conophorum(Müll.Arg.) Hutch. & Dalziel  [ es ]

Contents

Plukenetia conophora, also called Nigerian walnut, and conophore, is a climbing shrub in the genus Plukenetia . It is not related to the walnut, being so named because its nuts bear a superficial resemblance to the walnut. It is native to tropical western and central Africa from Togo to Congo and in Sierra Leone. It is abundant in the Nigeria, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. It prefers rain-forest hedge in half-shady places; low bush; secondary forest; plantations at elevations from 250–1,400 m (820–4,590 ft). [1] Although it is well recorded in Sierra Leone, it is apparently not indigenous to Sierra Leone, since it is not recorded in Liberia and Ghana. Its presence in Sierra Leone is due to returning slaves for it is known to the Krio by its Yoruba (Nigerian) name. [2] Plukenetia conophora is the only Plukenetia species native to West Africa or Central Africa. Other Plukenetia species are indigenous to other parts of Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and America. [3]

Description

It produces stems usually 3–15 m (9.8–49.2 ft) long, though they can be up to 30 m (98 ft) long. The seed is thin-shelled and about 25 mm (0.98 in) long. It is contained in a pod which may house;one shelled nut (single), two shelled nut (double) and three shelled nut. The walnut shells could be black or brown from the plant. The nut is whitish upon cracking from the shell. The nut has a thin layer in between two halves (when a nut is divided into two equal parts) of nut.[ citation needed ]

Taxonomy

Plukenetia conophora belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae in the order Malpighiales of angiosperms in the plant kingdom. [4] Euphorbiaceae is a large family of flowering plants with about 300 genera and 7,500 species. Members of the family are generally called spurge. This family occurs mainly in the tropics, with the majority of the species in the tropical America and Indo-Malayan regions. A large variety occurs in tropical Africa, but they are not as abundant or varied as in the two other tropical regions. However, Euphorbiaceae also has many species in nontropical areas such as the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, South Africa and southern USA. [5] Of the three subfamilies of Euphorbiaceae – Acalyphoideae, Crotonoideae and Euphorbioideae; only Acalyphoideae is native to Africa. [6]

The genus Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae) is a pantropical genus of 19 species belonging to the tribe Plukenetieae of the subfamily Acalyphoideae. [7] Three sections or species groups of genus Plukenetia have been recognized. The two previously named genera, Tetracarpidium (synonym Angostylidium ) and Hedraiostylus (synonym Pterococcus ), are now treated as sections of Plukenetia. [6] [8] The monotypic Plukenetia sect. Tetracarpidium (Angostylidium) includes the African species Plukenetia conophora, while Plukenetia sect. Hedraiostylus (Pterococcus) comprises two African species ( Plukenetia africana and Plukenetia procumbens ) and one Asian species ( Plukenetia corniculata ). A third species group restricted to Madagascar comprises three species; Plukenetia madagascariensis , Plukenetia deciduas , and Plukenetia ankaranensis . [9] However, Plukenetia conophora is still, in some literature, erroneously referred to by the genus Tetracarpidium.

Uses

Food

Plukenetia conophora is an important crop due to its multiple uses. Plukenetia conophora is widely cultivated for its nuts, which are cooked and consumed as snacks and often served with corn or rice. In West Africa, especially in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, as well as in Central African countries such as Cameroon, the seeds provide income to the rural people thereby improving their economy. Eaten boiled, it has a bitter aftertaste, usually observed upon drinking water. [10] The seed can be ground into a powder and used with flour in making cakes. The nut, eaten raw, has a bitter taste comparable to that of kola nut. [11]

The nuts can also be roasted and eaten in the general diet, or added to cakes. The nuts are oil-bearing yielding 48–60% of a light golden colored oil with a taste resembling linseed oil. The oil is edible, although it not suitable for frying or soap manufacture, due to its quick drying property. [12]

The leaves are also edible and are often eaten with rice. [12]

Traditional medicine

In Gabon, consumption of the seeds by husbands of pregnant women is believed to mitigate the risk of miscarriage. [13] The fresh nuts are believed to be a snake antivenin. [14]

Other uses

The oil has thus been found useful in the formulation of wood vanish, stand oil, vulcanized oil for leather and rubber substitute. [15]

Local names

Related Research Articles

Kola nut Fruit of the kola tree

The term kola nut usually refers to the seeds of certain species of plant of the genus Cola, placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae. These cola species are trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa. Their caffeine-containing seeds are used as flavoring ingredients in beverages applied to various carbonated soft drinks, from which the name cola originates.

<i>Juglans</i> Genus of trees

Walnut trees are any species of tree in the plant genus Juglans, the type genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are referred to as walnuts. All species are deciduous trees, 10–40 metres (33–131 ft) tall, with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres (7.9–35.4 in), with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts (Pterocarya), but not the hickories (Carya) in the same family.

Discoclaoxylon is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, first described in 1914. It is native to western and central Africa, including islands in the Gulf of Guinea.

  1. Discoclaoxylon hexandrum(Müll.Arg.) Pax & K.Hoffm. - Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé, Congo-Brazzaville, Zaire, Uganda
  2. Discoclaoxylon occidentale(Müll.Arg.) Pax & K.Hoffm. - São Tomé
  3. Discoclaoxylon pedicellare(Müll.Arg.) Pax & K.Hoffm. - Bioko
  4. Discoclaoxylon pubescens(Pax & K.Hoffm.) Exell - Annobón

Necepsia is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1910. It is native to Madagascar and to tropical Africa.

  1. Necepsia afzeliiPrain - Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Congo, Cabinda, Gabon
  2. Necepsia castaneifolia(Baill.) Bouchat & J.Léonard - Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Madagascar
  3. Necepsia zairensisBouchat & J.Léonard - Congo, Zaire

Discoglypremna is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1911. It contains only one known species, Discoglypremna caloneura, native to tropical Africa.

Pycnocoma is a genus of plant of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1849. It is native to tropical Africa and Madagascar.

Crotonogyne is a shrub of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) first described as a genus in 1864. It is native to western and central Africa. It is dioecious.

<i>Sclerocroton</i> Genus of flowering plants

Sclerocroton is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1845. There a total of 6 known species in this genus; 5 species in continental Africa and a single species in Madagascar.

  1. Sclerocroton carterianus(J.Léonard) Kruijt & Roebers - Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone
  2. Sclerocroton cornutus(Pax) Kruijt & Roebers - C + SC Africa from Cameroon to Zimbabwe plus Ivory Coast
  3. Sclerocroton integerrimusHochst. - C + S Africa from Zaire to KawZulu-Natal, plus Guinea
  4. Sclerocroton melanostictus(Baill.) Kruijt & Roebers - Madagascar
  5. Sclerocroton oblongifolius(Müll.Arg.) Kruijt & Roebers - Zaire, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  6. Sclerocroton schmitzii(J.Léonard) Kruijt & Roebers - Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
<i>Coula edulis</i> Species of flowering plant

Coula edulis is a tree in the genus Coula, native to tropical western Africa from Sierra Leone to Angola. It is plentiful in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. It prefers tropical regions and is tolerant of light shade. It can be found in the top canopy of forest as well as the lower story and has no special soil requirements.

<i>Dacryodes edulis</i> Species of tree

Dacryodes edulis is a fruit tree native to Africa, sometimes called safou, prune (Cameroon), atanga, ube (Nigeria), African pear, bush pear, African plum, nsafu, bush butter tree, or butterfruit.

<i>Garcinia kola</i> Species of tree

Garcinia kola (bitter kola is a species of flowering plant belonging to the Mangosteen genus Garcinia of the family Clusiaceae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, The Gambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<i>Plukenetia volubilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Plukenetia volubilis, commonly known as sacha inchi, sacha peanut, mountain peanut, Inca nut or Inca-peanut, is a perennial plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, having small trichomes on its leaves. It is native to much of tropical South America, as well as some of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. It is cultivated commercially in South East Asia, most notably in Thailand. Although its raw seeds and leaves contain toxins, these components are safe for consumption after roasting.

<i>Cercestis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Cercestis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. The species in this genus are all climbers and are endemic to Africa. At intervals along the stem they produce long leafless shoots called flagella. Many of the species in Cersestis show signs of fenestration.

<i>Ancistrorhynchus</i> Genus of orchids

Ancistrorhynchus is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family Orchidaceae. It contains 16 species native to tropical Africa.

Craterispermum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 16 species that occur in tropical Africa and Seychelles. It is the only genus in the tribe Craterispermeae, of which the divergence time is estimated at 34.8 million years ago.

<i>Callichilia</i> Genus of plants

Callichilia is a genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to tropical Africa.

<i>Landolphia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Landolphia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1806. They take the form of vines that scramble over host trees. Landolphia is native to tropical Africa.

Mostuea is one of only three genera of flowering plants belonging to the small family Gelsemiaceae. Mostuea and Gelsemium were formerly placed in the family Loganiaceae, while Pteleocarpa was placed variously in the families Icacinaceae, Cardiopteridaceae, Boraginaceae, and others, before the description of the Gelsemiaceae was altered formally to accommodate it in 2014. Mostuea is native to Africa and South America. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the roots of certain Mostuea species are used as ritual aphrodisiacs and entheogens in West Tropical Africa.

<i>Ritchiea</i>

Ritchiea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Capparaceae.

References

  1. ↑ Amusa TO, SO Jimoh, IO Azeez, RO Awodoin and I Kareem (2014). "Stock density and fruit yield of African walnut, Plukenetia conophora Mull-Arg (Syn. Tetracarpidium conophorum) in tropical lowland rainforests of southwest Nigeria". Journal of Tropical Forestry and Environment. 4 (2): 73–81. doi:10.31357/jtfe.v4i2.2036.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Plukenetia conophora Müll.-Arg. [family Euphorbiaceae]".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ Govaerts R, DG Frodin and A Radcliffe-Smith (2000). "World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae)". The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 1-4: 1-1622.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/acceptedRef.do?name_id=3145 [ dead link ]
  4. ↑ "Plukenetia conophora". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  5. ↑ Oudejans RC (1990). World catalogue of species names published in the tribe Euphorbieae (Euphorbiaceae) with their geographical distribution. Utrecht: RCH Oudejans viii, 444p.-. En Many comb. nov. Geog= 0 Systematics: ANGIOSPERMAE (EUPHORBIACEAE)(KR, 199003219).
  6. 1 2 Croizat L (1941). "The tribe Plukenetiinae of the Euphorbiaceae in Eastern tropical Asia". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 22 (3): 417–431. doi:10.5962/p.185437. S2CID   90023967.
  7. ↑ Gillespie, Lynn J (2007). "A Revision of Paleotropical Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae) Including Two New Species from Madagascar". Systematic Botany. 32 (4): 780–802. doi:10.1600/036364407783390782.
  8. ↑ Webster GL (1975). "Conspectus of a new classification of the Euphorbiaceae" (PDF). Taxon. 24 (5/6): 593–601. doi: 10.2307/1220725 . JSTOR   1220725.
  9. ↑ Gillespie LJ (2007). "A revision of Paleotropical Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae) including two new species from Madagascar". Systematic Botany. 32 (4): 780–802. doi:10.1600/036364407783390782. JSTOR   25064293.
  10. ↑ Oke OL (1995). Leaf Protein Research in Nigeria Ibadan. University of Ibadan Press, USA.
  11. ↑ Palau-Marti M (1964). André Raponda-Walker et Roger Sillans. Rites et croyances des peuples du Gabon. Revue de l'histoire des religions. 166(1): 109-110.
  12. 1 2 Akintayo, E. T; Bayer, E (2002). "Characterisation and some possible uses of Plukenetia conophora and Adenopus breviflorus seeds and seed oils". Bioresource Technology. 85 (1): 95–7. doi:10.1016/S0960-8524(02)00073-1. PMID   12146651.
  13. ↑ Raponda-Walker A and R Sillans (1961). The useful plants of Gabon: Test inventory and concordance of vernacular and scientific names of plants. Spontaneous and introduced biological Encyclopedia. 56. Paris, Lechevalier, X -614 p.
  14. ↑ Hutchinson J and JM Dalziel (1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, second ed., vol. 1, Part 2. Keay R.W.J Crown agents, London, pp. 365–367, 396–397.
  15. ↑ Obianime, AW; Uche, FI (2010). "The effects of aqueous extracts of Tetracarpidium conophorum seeds on the hormonal parameters of male guinea pigs". Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 3: 21–24. doi: 10.1016/S1995-7645(10)60024-7 .
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