Common Name:

General Information

Antrocaryon micraster is a deciduous tree growing 35 - 50 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole is up to 150cm in diameter. It is not buttressed at the base, but can be twisted near the top[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of food, medicine, wood and a gum. The wood is traded internationally[].
The tree is heavily exploited for its timber[]. It regenerates successfully in canopy gaps but performs less well in burnt or heavily disturbed forests. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical west Africa - moister regions from Sierra Leone east through the Congo basin to Uganda.

Habitat

A canopy or emergent tree of terra firma high forest; rain-forest; semi-deciduous forest; dry closed forest; a elevations from 1,050 - 1,500 metres in Uganda[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	40.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the wet tropics.

Edible Uses

The bark is thick and rough. It is said to be put into soups in Nigeria[].

Fruit - raw[]. A strong, mango-like smell[]. They are sometimes fermented to make an alcoholic drink[]. The fruits, which are sometimes called plums because of their similarity to the temperate fruit, are around 37mm long by 50mm in diameter[].

The stone contains 3 - 5 cavities housing the seeds which are rich in oil and are edible. Oil content of the kernels is over 70%, and is composed of linoleic acid 40%, oleic acid 31%, stearic acid 18%, and others. The hard endocarp is difficult to open to get at the seeds, but will burst if put in hot cinders[].

Medicinal

The fruit is used in the treatment of cough and heart-ache [sic! Presumably pains], and for stomach-ache[].

Other Uses

The tree exudes a fragrant, yellow, sticky substance which sets to a golden-brown translucent gum[, ].

The heartwood is pinkish white to light brown; it is not distinctly demarcated rom the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked, sometimes wavy. The wood is light in weight, soft, not durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The wood seasons quickly with only a slight risk of check or distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. The wood works well with ordinary tools, though sometimes there is grain tearing, and filling is necessary in order to obtain a good finish; nailing and screwing are good; gluing is correct. The wood has many uses, including house frames, light carpentry, interior joinery, boxes and crates, furniture, veneer and blockboard[].

Propagation

Seed -

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