Cordia aurantiaca
Baker
Boraginaceae
Cordia batesii Wernham
Cordia dusenii Gürke
Cordia goossensi De Wild.
Common Name:
General Information
Cordia aurantiaca is an evergreen, much branched tree growing up to 16 metres tall.
The tree is harvested from the wild as a food and source of fibre. It is occasionally planted as a village-tree[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Cordia aurantiaca has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified.The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
West tropical Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon.
Habitat
Rainforests[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. Dense forests and banks of streams at low elevations[
544- Title
- Cataloge of African Plants Collected by Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch in 1853 - 1861
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hiern. W.P.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Longmans & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1898
- ISBN
-
- Description
- In 6 volumes, it gives botanical descriptions and some uses of the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 10.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Trees can be coppiced and pollarded[
544- Title
- Cataloge of African Plants Collected by Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch in 1853 - 1861
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hiern. W.P.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Longmans & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1898
- ISBN
-
- Description
- In 6 volumes, it gives botanical descriptions and some uses of the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
Like other Cordia spp. the fruit-pulp is probably edible[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Although we have seen no other specific information for this species, the fruits of most Cordia species are comprised of a thin to fairly thick layer of pulpy, sweetish-tasting flesh surrounding a single seed and are more or less edible[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
422- Title
- Fruits of the Guianan Flora
- Publication
-
- Author
- van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
- Publisher
- Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 90-9000988-4
- Description
- Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
], (though some are known to cause gastric disturbances).
The thin fruit-pulp is used as a gum[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
A fibre can be obtained from the inner bark[
544- Title
- Cataloge of African Plants Collected by Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch in 1853 - 1861
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hiern. W.P.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Longmans & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1898
- ISBN
-
- Description
- In 6 volumes, it gives botanical descriptions and some uses of the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Very durable, it is used for making ropes[
544- Title
- Cataloge of African Plants Collected by Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch in 1853 - 1861
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hiern. W.P.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Longmans & Co.; London.
- Year
- 1898
- ISBN
-
- Description
- In 6 volumes, it gives botanical descriptions and some uses of the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The wood of most species in this genus is hard and, where the plants grow large enough, the wood is often harvested at least locally for use in construction etc and also for making charcoal[
1902- Title
- Two new species of Cordia L. (Boraginaceae) from Madagascar
- Publication
- Adansonia series 3, 23(2), 289-295, 2001
- Author
- Miller J.S.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
