Pterocarpus soyauxii
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| Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub. |
Pterocarpus soyauxii (African Padauk or African Coralwood) is a species of Pterocarpus in the family Fabaceae, native to central and tropical west Africa, from Nigeria east to Congo-Kinshasa and south to Angola.[1][2]
It is a tree growing to 27–34 m tall, with a trunk diameter up to 1 m with flaky reddish-grey bark. The leaves are pinnate, with 11–13 leaflets. The flowers are produced in panicles. The fruit is a thorny pod 6–9 cm long, which does not split open at maturity.[3]
[edit] Uses
The leaves are edible, and contain large amounts of vitamin C; they are eaten as a leaf vegetable.[3]
Bark extracts are used in herbal medicine to treat skin parasites and fungal infections.[3]
The wood is valuable; it is very durable, red at first, becoming purplish-brown on exposure to light, with a density of 0.79 g/cm³.[4] It is resistant to termites.[3] It is valued for making drums in Africa due to its tonal resonance.[3]
Dust from the wood produced during wood processing can cause dermatitis in some people.[5]
Native African names include Kisese (Congo), Mbel (Cameroon), Mukula, N'gula (Zaire), and Tacula (Angola).[4]
[edit] References
- ^ International Legume Database & Information Service: Pterocarpus soyauxii
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Pterocarpus soyauxii
- ^ a b c d e World Agroforestry Centre: Pterocarpus soyauxii
- ^ a b CIRAD Forestry Department: Padouk (pdf file)
- ^ Kiec-Swierczynska, M., Krecisz, B., Swierczynska-Machura, D., Palczynski, C. (2004). Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by padauk wood (Pterocarpus soyauxii Taub.). Contact Dermatitis 50 (6): 384-385. Abstract
