Common Name:

General Information

Fillaeopsis discophora is a medium-sized to fairly large evergreen tree with widely spreading branches, growing up to 40 metres tall[, ]. It has a bole up to 110 cm in diameter, cylindrical but often sinuous and sometimes fluted, with thick buttresses up to 4 metres high[]. The root bark, young shoots and seeds all have an onion-like scent[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use, whilst the wood is used locally and also traded[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western tropical Africa - Nigeria to the Central African Republic, south to Angola.

Habitat

Occurs in lowland rainforest[]. It can be found scattered in primary forest, but may be locally fairly abundant in former large forest gaps[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland, moist tropics.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is used as an analgesic[].
A decoction of the bark is used externally to treat sores, rheumatism and rickets[].

The presence of saponins in large amounts has been reported for the bark[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is pinkish brown to greyish brown, with a glossy appearance and often with orange-brown streaks; due to the presence of transition wood, it is not clearly demarcated from the 5 - 10cm wide band of yellowish white sapwood, which becomes greyish upon drying. The texture is coarse; the grain interlocked. The wood is light in weight; soft; not very durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. There is a high risk of distortion and the wood needs to be seasoned with great care; once dry it is poorly stable in service. The wood is moderately difficult to saw; stellite-tipped sawteeth are recommended. Planing to a smooth surface is possible using sharp tools. Nailing and screwing are satisfactory, and the gluing properties are good. The wood takes paint and varnish well. It is used for house construction, interior decoration, flooring, window frames, furniture and street paving blocks[, , ]. The peeling properties are excellent and good-quality plywood can be produced[].

Propagation

Seed -

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