Baku
Tieghemella heckelii

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

Tieghemella heckelii, otherwise known in various common names such as Baku, African Mahogany, Cherry Mahogany, and Dumori Butter, is a large tropical tree reaching a height of about 50 m upon maturity. Its trunk is angular at the base, not buttressed, and can be up to 2 m across. The bark is used in the treatment of blennorrhea and toothache while young buds are used for snake bites. Seed kernels contain edible fat known as 'dumori butter' or 'makore butter' which is used as cooking or seasoning oil. Aside from its edible use, seed fat is used as hair pomade and in soap manufacturing. The wood is medium weight, moderately hard, resistant to fungal and termite attacks, but not highly durable and is difficult to work. It is usually used as construction material and for furniture, floorings, railway sleepers, turner, sculptures, veneers, and plywood. This species is threatened by habitat loss and overexploitation. It is grown from seeds, air layering, or cuttings.

Tieghemella heckelii is an evergreen Tree growing to 50 m (164ft) by 40 m (131ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 50

Where it is found

Often an emergent tree of the high forest, it is found in moist evergreen and semi-deciduous forests. There is a strong preference for undisturbed forest.

Western tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Ghana.

Conservation Status: Status: Endangered A1cd

Countries/locations it is found in

Cameroon; Côte d'Ivoire; Gabon; Ghana; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra Leone, Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Liberia, West Africa,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

The seed kernels (cotyledons, known as 'baco') are rich in an edible fat known as 'dumori butter' or 'makore butter'. It is locally popular as a cooking or seasoning oil and often preferred to palm oil. The seeds are 60 - 75mm long, 1 - 3 being contained in each large, pulpy fruit. The kernel comprises about 60% oil by weight. The oil is yellowish and semi-fluid, has no distinct flavour or taste (occasionally slightly spicy), and consists of about 51% oleic acid, 43% stearic acid, 3.5% palmitic acid and 2.5% linoleic acid.

Oil: Oil

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The bark is reportedly effective for treating blennorrhoea and toothache. Young buds are used to treat snake bites.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Stings: Used in the treatment of stings and insect bites.

Other

Rating: 4

Other Uses: The fat from the seed is applied as a pomade to the body and hair, and used in soap production. The wood resembles African mahogany (Khaya and Entandrophragma spp.), but the texture is finer. The heartwood is pinkish-, purplish- or reddish-brown with a silky lustre, often with a decorative figure in the form of flames or stripes; it is very distinctly demarcated from the up to 8 cm wide band of pinkish white to greyish brown sapwood. The grain is straight or interlocked, texture fine and even. The wood is medium-weight; moderately hard; it is rated as one of the most durable African timbers, being resistant to termites and fungi although damage by pinhole borers and powder-post beetles has been recorded occasionally. Although it is resistant to marine borers in temperate waters, the wood is not very durable in tropical (especially brackish) waters. The wood is somewhat difficult to work due to the presence of silica - blunting effects are moderately severe when sawing, and stellite-tipped sawteeth are recommended; it finishes well, staining and polishing give good results; pre-boring for nailing and screwing is recommended to avoid splitting; gluing properties are good; the timber can be peeled satisfactorily. The heartwood is very difficult to impregnate, the sapwood moderately easy. Traded as makore or cherry mahogany, the wood is used for furniture, exterior and interior construction, flooring, doors, vehicle frames, sports goods, railway sleepers, turnery and sculptures. It makes a good and decorative veneer, often used to face plywood, especially for marine uses.

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

Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

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

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

How it is grown

Prefers a heavy soil. Young trees are very tolerant of shade, but can survive in full sun, whilst older trees need a sunny position. Initial growth of seedlings is fast, up to 70 cm in 4 months, but then often ceases while a strong taproot (c. 20 cm long) is formed. Growth of the young trees is reported as slow, but strongly depends on the amount of light the plant receives. Under conditions above 40% of full light, growth may be up to 1 metre per year; whilst when light levels fall below 10% growth is almost nil. In Ghana, young trees have been reported to be 1 - 2 metres tall after 1 - 1.5 years in a nursery. However, in western Cote d'Ivoire, trees have been reported to be 3 metres tall after 4 years and 9 - 11 metres tall after 20 years with a stem diameter of 13 - 16cm. Occasional specimens have even reached 28 metres tall after 21 years with a diameter of 37cm. For 35 - 80- year-old trees the mean annual increment is 4 - 8mm. Trees start flowering and fruiting after about 17 years, but sometimes in as little as 10 years. A large tree produces approximately 3,000 - 4,000 fruits at a time. The fruits are eaten by elephants, which are probably the main seed dispersers; bush-pigs are also reported to feed on the fruits.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe since the viability decreases rapidly once the seeds have been removed from the fruit. In the nursery, seeds are usually planted at a spacing of 40 cm _ 40 cm under light shade. Seedbeds should be watered well. Germination is over 90% in optimal conditions, and without pre-treatment. Germination begins after about 4 weeks, most seeds having germinated after 10 weeks, but it may continue for 16 weeks. Saplings of about 2.5 years old and 1 - 1.5 metres tall are planted out into the field usually at the beginning of the rainy season, but in western C?te d?Ivoire 0.5 year-old seedlings are used. The seeds are heavy, there are 30 - 50 seeds per kg. Rodents may cause considerable damage to seeds and seedlings (cotyledons). Air layering. In a test, 39% of branches rooted after 8 weeks Cuttings. The average rate of rooting of branch cuttings after 6 months was 73%.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Dust produced from sawing the wood may cause irritation to the skin and mucous membranes. It has been suggested that this is caused by the presence of saponins or the contact allergen 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone. A highly haemolytic saponin has been isolated from the wood.

Its other names

Local names

Abaku, Bacu, Baku, Gwah, Makore,

Synonyms

Baillonella heckelii (A.Chev.) Baehni Dumoria heckelii A.Chev Mimusops heckelii (A.Chev.) Hutch. & D