Niam Tree
Lophira alata

Family: Ochnaceae

What it is like

Found in Western tropical Africa, Niam Tree or Lophira alata is an extremely large tree growing usually about 40-60 m tall. It has a long, narrow crown and long, straight trunk that can be unbranched for up to 30 m and up to 180 cm in diameter. It has large buttresses at the base. It is one of the most over exploited species due to its strong, heavy, and highly durable timber. It also yields high quality edible oil. The oil is used as a hair oil and for soap-making.

Lophira alata is an evergreen Tree growing to 40 m (131ft) by 30 m (98ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 40

Where it is found

Evergreen moist rain-forest at elevations of 550 - 1,300 metres. Evergreen and moist deciduous forests, in freshwater swamp forests, and close to riverbanks.

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.

Conservation Status: Status: Vulnerable A1cd

Countries/locations it is found in

Cameroon; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Ghana; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra Leone, Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, CAR, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, West Africa,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

The fruits can be used to make an edible oil.

Oil: Oil

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Agroforestry Uses: The plant is a pioneer species and is representative of a disturbed forest. Other Uses An oil obtained from the seed is used as a hair oil and is also suitable for making soap. The heartwood is dark red, chocolate brown, or purple brown with conspicuous white deposits in the vessels; it is clearly demarcated from the 2 - 5cm wide band of pale pink sapwood; there is an intermediate zone between the heartwood and sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain usually interlocked; lustre low; there is no characteristic odour or taste. The wood is very dense; very hard; very heavy; elastic; very durable, being resistant to fungi, dry wood borers, termites and toredo. It seasons slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It is very difficult to work with hand and machine tools; there is a severe blunting effect if machined when dry so stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; it can be dressed to a smooth finish, though there can be difficulties due to the interlocked grain; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; the gluing properties are usually good for interior purposes, but care must be taken because of the dense wood. It is resistant to acids and has good weathering properties. It is used for heavy, durable construction work, harbour work such as jetties, heavy-duty flooring, parquet flooring, railroad crossties. Because the wood is rich in silica, and is resistant to marine borers, it isd favoured for use in jetties.

Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

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: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

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

How it is grown

Grows best in a sunny position.Plants are sensitive to drought. It is estimated that is takes 220 years for a tree to reach a girth of 2.7 metres in Nigeria. Light gaps in the forest are necessary for successful regeneration, as seed germination does not occur in shady understorey.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe since the seed has a short viability. Even sown fresh, germination rates are usually less than 50%, dropping to 5% after 3 months. Germination takes 3 - 5 weeks. To improve growth in the nursery, it is recommended to add soil from under an established tree to the substrate to ensure development of mycorrhizal fungi. Air layering is possible. A rooting percentage of marcots of more than 60% has been obtained with cow dung as substrate and IBA (0.8%) as growth hormone. Stem cuttings are also possible.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

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

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Niam Tree, Akoga, Akufo, Azobe, Bongossi, Bonkole, Ega, Ekki, False Shea, Hos, Kaku, Kofyo, Lekwa, Ngokele, Okoa, Okoka,

Synonyms

Lophira africana Banks ex G.Don Lophira barteri Tiegh. Lophira macrophylla Tiegh. Lophira procera A.