Common Name:

General Information

Nesogordonia papaverifera is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 40 metres tall. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical, though it can be twisted; it can be free of branches for up to 20 metres and up to 90cm in diameter, with sharp buttresses up to 4 metres high[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. The wood is used locally and is also commonly harvested for export.
A timber species, which grows in dense stands, commonly in areas where savannah has been replaced by forest. Genetic impoverishment is reported in outlying parts of the species' range. Exploitation is moderate. Sometimes large individuals are left after logging. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Senegal to Nigeria, Gabon.

Habitat

Moist and dry deciduous lowland tall forest[]. Absent from wetter, evergreen forests[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Regeneration is good in disturbed forest[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves are used to treat oral problems[].

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the bark[].

The twigs are used as chew sticks to maintain the health of teeth and gums[].

The heartwood is reddish-brown; it is sharply demarcated from the 5 - 8cm wide band of lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is fine and even; the grain narrowly interlocked, producing a stripe figure; lustre is medium; there is no characteristic odour or taste; the wood is marked with dark streaks of scar tissue, pin knots; it has a slight greasy feel. The heartwood is rated as durable and fairly resistant to termite attack; the sapwood is liable to powder-post beetle attack. The wood seasons rather slowly and with little degrade, collapse may occur in kiln-drying. It works well with hand and machine tools; there is a moderate blunting of cutters; a cutting angle of 15 degrees is suggested to avoid tearing of grain in planing; it is a good slicing timber; glues well; with moderate steam-bending properties. It is used for purposes such as general construction, floors, joinery, turnery, boatbuilding, tool handles, gunstocks, plywood, utility crossarms, furniture[]. It is considered to be a hickory (Carya spp.) substitute[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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