Common Name:

General Information

Aphanocalyx pteridophyllus is an evergreen tree with a broad but irregular crown that can be pendulous; it can grow 30 metres or more tall. The bole often branches from quite low down, it can be up to 45cm, occasionally to 75cm in diameter, sometimes with small buttresses[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. The wood has potential for commercial use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Liberia.

Habitat

Riverine forest, often along and hanging over a river, occurring even along rivers with brackish water; usually on sandy soils; at elevations up to 150 metres. Also occurring in small groups in evergreen (dryland?) forest[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Seeds[].

Medicinal

The pulverised bark is used as a poultice in the treatment of a subcutaneous parasitic infection known as craw-craw[, ].

Other Uses

No uses are recorded for the wood this species, but it is said to have good potential[]. It belongs to a group of timbers collectively known as 'Andoung' - a general description of andoung wood 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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