Erythrophleum suaveolens

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A large tree. It grows 40 m tall and is 2.5 m around. The trunk is 10-16 m tall and often has buttresses. The bark is grey and poisonous. The leaves are twice divided and have 3-4 pairs of smaller leaflet shoots. These are 15-30 cm long and arranged oppositely. Along these there are 8-14 leaflets that are 5-10 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. The flowers are yellow to red and in dense crowded spike like stalks. These are 8-10 cm long and 18 mm across. The fruit are woody pods 8-15 cm long by 4-5 cm wide. They are flat and rounded at both ends. The seeds are hard and 8 mm long.

Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in woodland and savannah woodland. It grows up to 1,100 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa (country/location of origin), Asia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Nigeria, SE Asia, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, West Africa

How it is used for food

The bark is poisonous.

Edible parts

Caution

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds or by stumps. Seeds germinate in 7-21 days and are best in the dark.

Its other names

Local names

Baier, Bentabe, Betitche, Betomo, Budatchai, Buirame, Mancone, Manconi, Otone, Potrodom, Tali, Talidhe, Talo, Tebi, Teli

Synonyms

Fillaea suaveolens Guill. & Perr.; Erythrophleum guineense G. Don;