Common Name:

General Information

Bikinia letestui is a tree with a hemispherical crown; it can grow up to 55 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 30 metres; 200cm or more in diameter with broad buttresses up to 2 metres high[].
The tree is a source of 'Andoung' timber and is often harvested from the wild for local use and trade.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo.

Habitat

A canopy tree of primary and old secondary evergreen rain-forest, in areas not subject to inundation, usually in small clusters of less than 10 mature trees; hill forests, hill sides and level places; steep slope; at elevations up to 900 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	45.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is brown to pink-brown; the sapwood is white to yellowish when fresh, becoming brownish pink upon exposure[]. The larger logs of this species are well appreciated for carpentry, especially on the Asian market (see also the notes). Probably because of transport problems (it sinks, see notes )it is only harvested in areas close to the coast, where it can be rafted or transported by trucks. The wood is suitable for many purposes, including carpentry, plywood, veneer and pulp[].
The tree is a source of 'Andoung' timber[]. We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species, but a general description of angoung wood is as follows:-
The heartwood is pink-brown to red-brown; it is not clearly demarcated from the 5 - 15cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain interlocked. The wood is light in weight; soft to moderately hard; not very durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of distortion and a slight risk of checking; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It can be worked with ordinary tools, though the presence of interlocked grain can lead to tearing and there is a tendency to woolliness; nailing and screwing are good; gluing is correct. The wood is used in light construction, joinery, flooring, boxes and crates, furniture components; stairs, veneer etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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