Common Name:

General Information

Tetraberlinia polyphylla is a tree that can grow from 10 - 30 metres tall, occasionally to 40 metres. The straight, fairly cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 20 metres, up to 70cm or more in diameter, sometimes with small feet at the base[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Equatorial Guinea, Gabon. Congo.

Habitat

Evergreen rain-forest in areas not subject to inundation, and in riverine forest with seasonal inundations; not typically gregarious; at elevations up to 250 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	23.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is used as a treatment for worms[].

Other Uses

The sapwood is a creamy white, becoming pale, pinkish brown upon exposure[]. It is used in carpentry[].
The wood of this species should have about the same properties as that of Tetraberlinia bifoliolata[]. These properties are as follows:-
The heartwood is pinkish-brown to dark brown; it is not clearly demarcated from the 2 - 12cm wide band of white to yellowish sapwood that becomes pink to yellowish as it dries. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked; there are distinct growth rings. The wood is light to moderately heavy, soft to moderately hard, not very durable, having some resistance to fungi but susceptible to dry wood borers and termites. The wood seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. The wood can be worked with ordinary tools, though there is a risk of grain tearing in the presence of interlocked grain - a reduced cutting angle is recommended; nailing and screwing are poor; gluing is correct. The wood has many potentials, it is used in local construction and is suitable for joinery, parquetry, light carpentry, panelling, boxes and crates, veneer, plywood etc[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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