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Useful Tropical Plants

Leplaea thompsonii

(Sprague & Hutch.) E.J.M.Koenen & J.J.de Wilde

Meliaceae

+ Synonyms

Guarea le-testui Pellegr.

Guarea oyemensis Pellegr.

Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch.

Common Name: Black Guarea

No Image.

General Information

Black guarea is an evergreen, medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 35 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 55 metres[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 20 metres, often fluted, up to 150 cm in diameter, sometimes with short, blunt buttresses at the base[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and timber, it is also exploited commercially and traded internationally[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
A quite widespread species, but it usually occurs in low densities and is usually restricted to undisturbed forest. It is included in the IUCN Red list, where it is classified as 'Vulnerable' because of habitat loss and degradation, and selective felling[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Known Hazards

The wood dust may cause irritation to the skin and mucous membranes[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The bark is used as a fish poison[
886
Title
A taxonomic revision of the reinstated genus Leplaea and the newly recognized genus Neoguarea
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 145 (2): 209-241, 2012
Author
Koenen E.J.M.; de Wilde J.J.F.E.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2012.656
Publisher
The Royal Botanical Society; Belgium.
Year
2012
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A review of the genus Guarea in Africa, it excludes all the African species from that genus, placing the majority of them in Leplaea and one in Neoguarea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Botanical References

886
Title
A taxonomic revision of the reinstated genus Leplaea and the newly recognized genus Neoguarea
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 145 (2): 209-241, 2012
Author
Koenen E.J.M.; de Wilde J.J.F.E.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2012.656
Publisher
The Royal Botanical Society; Belgium.
Year
2012
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A review of the genus Guarea in Africa, it excludes all the African species from that genus, placing the majority of them in Leplaea and one in Neoguarea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

Western tropical Africa - Liberia to Cameroon, south to Gabon, Congo and DR Congo.

Habitat

A sub-canopy tree in lowland evergreen rainforest, usually primary forest. It is most common in moist evergreen forest, especially in undisturbed forest, but it occurs also in moister types of semi-deciduous forest[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
886
Title
A taxonomic revision of the reinstated genus Leplaea and the newly recognized genus Neoguarea
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 145 (2): 209-241, 2012
Author
Koenen E.J.M.; de Wilde J.J.F.E.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2012.656
Publisher
The Royal Botanical Society; Belgium.
Year
2012
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A review of the genus Guarea in Africa, it excludes all the African species from that genus, placing the majority of them in Leplaea and one in Neoguarea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusVulnerable
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height35.00 m
Growth RateSlow
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Grows best in flat but well-drained sites[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The tree is classified as a shade-bearer.
In the forest, seedlings are most common in the shade, although generally less common than those of Leplaea cedrata. For proper development of seedlings, some opening of the forest canopy seems essential[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Initial growth of seedlings is slow. When they are exposed to more sunlight after one year, growth may speed up. However, planted trees in Nigeria reached on average only 10 metres in height and 20 cm in diameter after 25 years, and it has been estimated that it takes about 200 years for Leplaea thompsonii trees to reach 100cm in bole diameter[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[
886
Title
A taxonomic revision of the reinstated genus Leplaea and the newly recognized genus Neoguarea
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 145 (2): 209-241, 2012
Author
Koenen E.J.M.; de Wilde J.J.F.E.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2012.656
Publisher
The Royal Botanical Society; Belgium.
Year
2012
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A review of the genus Guarea in Africa, it excludes all the African species from that genus, placing the majority of them in Leplaea and one in Neoguarea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
886
Title
A taxonomic revision of the reinstated genus Leplaea and the newly recognized genus Neoguarea
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 145 (2): 209-241, 2012
Author
Koenen E.J.M.; de Wilde J.J.F.E.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2012.656
Publisher
The Royal Botanical Society; Belgium.
Year
2012
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A review of the genus Guarea in Africa, it excludes all the African species from that genus, placing the majority of them in Leplaea and one in Neoguarea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is used in traditional medicine[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

A decoction of the bark is applied as an enema to treat kidney pain, bleeding after childbirth, rheumatism and leprosy[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
A bark maceration is taken as a strong purgative[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

The heartwood is orangey brown when freshly cut, darkening to reddish brown upon exposure; it is usually distinctly demarcated from the 5 - 10cm wide band of paler sapwood. The grain is usually straight, sometimes interlocked; the texture fine; there is a slightly moire aspect. The wood is moderately heavy; moderately hard; moderately durable, being resistant to fungi and only occasionally attacked by termites and pinhole borers, but it is slightly more susceptible to attacks of powder-post beetles. It generally air dries fairly easily with little degrade, but has some tendency to checking during kiln drying; once dry it is stable in service. The wood is usually fairly easy to saw and work; it contains less silica than the wood of Leplaea cedrata, but is slightly more dense. It can be finished to a smooth surface, but there may be a slight tendency to pick up during planing of quarter-sawn material and some gum may appear at the surfaces. A cutting angle of 20° is recommended when interlocked grain is present. The wood holds nails and screws well, but may split upon nailing and pre-boring is recommended. It glues satisfactorily and takes paints, varnishes and stains well, but filling is recommended. The bending properties are usually moderate[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The wood is . The heartwood is strongly resistant to impregnation, the sapwood permeable to moderately resistant[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The wood is valued for house building, flooring, joinery, interior trim, panelling, doors, ship building, vehicle bodies, furniture, cabinet work, veneer and plywood. It is suitable for toys, novelties, boxes, crates, carving and turnery[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Good-quality veneer can be produced by slicing[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Traditionally, the wood is used for dugout canoes[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe because it has a short viability[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Germination is rather slow, taking 20 - 35 days[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Seedlings are drought sensitive[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-14. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Leplaea+thompsonii>

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