Aningeria
Pouteria pierrei

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

Pouteria pierrei is a tropical tree that can be found in semi-deciduous rainforests in West Africa. It is often buttressed and grows about 40 m tall and 1.2 m across. It has a dense crown and straight cylindrical bole. The leaves are oval and with hairs underneath. The flowers are in clusters. The fruits are red and globose with fine hairs comprising of oval seeds. The fruit pulp is edible. The bark is a source of latex which has no known use to date. The wood is used for high quality sliced veneer, light carpentry, interior joinery, furniture, moulding.

Pouteria pierrei is a deciduous Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Semi-deciduous forest and the transition zone to humid evergreen forest.

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Cameroon and Central African Republic.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Cameroon; Central African Republic; Côte d'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra Leone, Africa, Benin, Cameroon, CAR, Central Africa, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit - raw. The pulp is eaten. The red fruit is a globose berry 15 - 20mm lcontaining a single large seed.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Other Uses: A latex exudes from the bark. No uses are recorded. The heartwood is creamy white to pale pinkish brown; it is indistinctly demarcated from the 3 - 6cm wide band of sapwood. The grain is straight, sometimes slightly interlocked; texture fine; the wood lustrous. It is moderately light, not durable and liable to attacks by fungi, termites and dry-wood borers. Drying usually does not cause problems, but there is a slight risk of distortion and checking and a tendency to blue stain, especially in early stages of air drying. Once dry, the wood is moderately stable in service. The wood contains about 0.3% silica and consequently the blunting effect on saws and cutting tools is high. Stellite-tipped sawteeth and tungsten-carbide tools are recommended. Nailing and screwing properties are good; the wood stains, paints and glues well; slicing properties are good, and excellent veneer can be produced. The wood is especially recommended for high-quality sliced veneer. It is also used for light carpentry, interior joinery, high-class furniture and moulding.

Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Latex: A source of rubber.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.

How it is grown

The tree usually regenerates abundantly in the wild. The plant is susceptible to fire; after a fire in a forest in Côte d'Ivoire 50% of the trees died within 6 years. Seedlings are classified as non-pioneer light demanders. Although they may be very abundant around parent trees, further development depends on the presence of gaps in the forest canopy.

Propagating it: Seed - Germination takes 2-3 weeks, and initial growth is slow.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Occupational asthma and contact urticaria caused by the wood dust have been recorded in sawmill workers.

Its other names

Local names

Aningeria, aniegré blanc - French, aningré blanc - French, asanfena - Ghana, asanfona - Ghana, inon - Yoruba, osanko - Yoruba, Abam, Aningueri, Inon, Mondongue, Samfena, Teyei, Tolongo, Valui, Vao-muli,

Synonyms

Aningeria pierrei (A.Chev.) Aubr?v. & Pellegr. Aningeria robusta (A.Chev.) Aubr?v. & Pellegr. Hormog