Entandrophragma angolense

Family: Meliaceae

What it is like

A tree that loses its leaves. It grows 50 m tall. The trunk can be 5 m around. The trunk is straight and 25 m tall with straight buttresses. The crown is open. The bark is smooth and pale grey and flakes off. The leaves have leaflets along the stem. The leaves are 40 cm long and have 5-10 pairs of leaflets arranged oppositely. The leaflets are 12 cm long by 5 cm wide. The flowers are white to yellow. The fruit is a capsule 8-20 cm long. It splits from the base and has 5 or 6 seeds that have wings.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in moist evergreen and semi-deciduous forests. It needs well-drained soils. In Nigeria it is recorded up to 1,800 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Nigeria, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds. Seeds take 14-23 days to germinate. Seeds need to be sown fresh. They need light shade.

Its other names

Local names

Edinam, Pelele, Tiama

Synonyms

several