Common Name:

General Information

Brachystegia eurycoma is a tree with a large, flat crown of huge, twisted, widely spreading branches; it can grow up to 37 metres tall. The bole is irregular and usually branches from low down; it can be 70 - 200cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine, and also for its wood, which is used locally and also exported. It is suitable for use as a shade providing ornamental tree, especially in the dry season when the it produces masses of coloured young foliage[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Wes tropical Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon.

Habitat

Common on stream-banks, open woodland, high forest; often with Strombosia santolinoides; at elevations from 500 - 1,150 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Seeds - used as a thickening in soups[]. They are known to cause increased viscosity in soups, giving it more palatability and good mouth feel. The gum also impacts certain desirable functional properties when added in other foods[].

Medicinal

The stem exudate has effective antibacterial activity. It is used traditionally in the treatment of wounds and infections[].

The stem bark is antifungal[].

A tincture of the seeds and also of the stem bark have shown effective antiinflammatory activity[].

Other Uses

The seed pods make a good fuel[].

A gum is obtained from the stems[]. It has medicinal uses[].

The heartwood is light brown to red brown with purplish glints; it is clearly demarcated from the 6 - 15cm wide band of white sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain usually interlocked, sometimes irregular. The wood is heavy; moderately hard to hard; elastic; moderately durable, being resistant to dry wood borers and moderately resistant to fungi and termites. It seasons fairly slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is stable in service. The wood has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; it is difficult to obtain a good finish due to the irregular grain, careful sanding and filling are required; nailing and screwing are good, but pre-boring is required to prevent splitting; gluing is correct. A possible substitute for mahogany, the wood has various uses including in construction, cabinet making, furniture, flooring, light carpentry, interior joinery and panelling and veneer[, , ].

Propagation

Seed -

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