Distemonanthus

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Distemonanthus
Distemonanthus benthamianus (GH0251).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Dialioideae
Genus: Distemonanthus
Benth.
Species:
D. benthamianus
Binomial name
Distemonanthus benthamianus
Baill.

Distemonanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Dialioideae. [1] It contains a single species, Distemonanthus benthamianus, a deciduous tree, [2] which 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. [3]

Contents

Mature heartwood has a moderate resistance to fungi.

Description

A big tree, it grows up to 40 meters tall and 90 cm in diameter. Trunk is straight but can sometimes be slightly sinuous; fairly spreading buttress roots at the base, free of branches for up to 20 meters. Bark, brown - reddish brown. Leaves, pinnately compound arrangement, 7 - 10 leaflets. Leaf-blade, ovate - elliptical in outline. Fruit, indehiscent pods [3]

Distribution

Tree grows in the high forest of West and Central Africa. Occurs in Gabon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon. In Gabon, it is known as Movingui. [4]

Uses

Parts of the root is used as a chewing stick for dental hygiene in parts of Nigeria. Bark extracts are used to treat incidents of diarrhea by traditional health practitioners. [5] Used also for decorative veneers and joinery. [4]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Anogeissus leiocarpa</i> Species of tree

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<i>Pachyelasma</i> Genus of legumes

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<i>Pycnanthus angolensis</i> Species of tree

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<i>Gilbertiodendron dewevrei</i> Species of legume

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>Annickia affinis</i>

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.

<i>Alstonia congensis</i> Species of plant

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<i>Aganope stuhlmannii</i>

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<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.

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References

  1. The Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG). (2017). "A new subfamily classification of the Leguminosae based on a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny". Taxon . 66 (1): 44–77. doi: 10.12705/661.3 . hdl: 10568/90658 .
  2. "Distemonanthus benthamianus - Useful Tropical Plants". tropical.theferns.info. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  3. 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. 191. ISBN   90-220-0701-4. OCLC   63303450.
  4. 1 2 Debout, G. D. G.; Doucet, J.-L.; Hardy, O. J. (2011). "Population history and gene dispersal inferred from spatial genetic structure of a Central African timber tree, Distemonanthus benthamianus (Caesalpinioideae)". Heredity. 106 (1): 88–99. doi: 10.1038/hdy.2010.35 . PMC   3183855 . PMID   20389306. S2CID   25410719.
  5. William, Yousseu Nana; Gilbert, Ateufack; Shah, Abdul Jabbar; Marius, Mbiantcha; Mireille, Tchoumba Tchoumi Liliane; Vanessa, Matah Mba Marthe; Flore, Adjouzem Carine; Gires, Teboukeu Boungo; Ducret, Awouafack Maurice; Khan, Taous; Albert, Kamanyi (2019). "Extracts from the trunk bark of Distemonanthus benthamianus Baillon. (Caesalpiniaceae) developed antidiarrhoeal activities in rats and mice". Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine. 19 (4): 421–433. doi:10.1007/s13596-019-00385-x. ISSN   1598-2386. S2CID   199634580.