Beilschmiedia mannii

Description

A tree. It grows up to 10-35 m high. The trunk does not have branches for 20 m. The trunk is straight and 100 cm across. There are heavy root swellings near the base. The young branches are hairy. The leaves are 7-26 cm long by 4-10 cm wide. They are simple and alternate almost opposite. The leaves have a smell when crushed. The flowers are in a group 4-15 cm long in the axils of leaves. The flowers are small and green. The fruit is a narrow berry. It is 2-6 cm long by 2-3 cm wide.

Edible Uses

The flowers flavor rice dishes. The unripe fruit is eaten and used in sauces. The seeds are roasted, ground, and eaten in soups and with vegetables, or pressed to yield an edible oil. The leaves are used in soups. Seeds are commonly sold in West African markets.

Traditional Uses

The flowers are used to flavour rice. The fruit is eaten and is used in sauces. The seeds are roasted and ground then eaten. It is added to soups and vegetables. The seeds yield an edible oil. The leaves are used in soup.

Medicinal Uses

The pounded fruits are used to treat coughs, bronchitis, intercostal pain, rheumatism and dysentery. A decoction of the bark and leaves is used as a lotion to treat headache. The bark contains traces of alkaloids, the leaves traces of flavones.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in evergreen forest. It can grow in shade. It sometimes grows in marshy situations. In Nigeria it has been recorded at 1,500 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

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

Cultivation

Plants are grown by seed. Seedlings are transplanted.

Propagation

Seed - A germination rate of about 80% can be expected within 21 - 30 days.

Other Uses

The heartwood is reddish-yellow to red, with a persistent spicy smell, and is distinctly demarcated from the pale yellow or cream-coloured, nearly odourless sapwood. The grain is straight; texture moderately fine. The wood is resistant to fungal and insect attack and durable even in contact with the soil or with fresh water. It is easy to work with all tools and finishes well; glues well. An attractive wood, it can be used as a substitute for mahogany (Swietenia spp.) and bosse (Guarea spp.). It is used for construction, planks, door frames, interior and exterior joinery, furniture, cabinet work, stairs, flooring, vehicle frames, canoes, carpentry, plywood, and other purposes requiring an attractive appearance. The tree is sometimes planted to provide shade for coffee plantations.

Other Information

The seeds are commonly sold in West African markets.

Notes

There are about 100-250 Beilschmeidia species. They are in the tropics.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Bile, Gbonyonnon wien, Gbu-gby nyennoh, Ghoko nisa, Kanda, Moukouzo, Oah, Quenhdeh, Poupouizo, Wollor

References (23)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 46
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 56
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 3. Kew.
• Busson, 1965,
• Chapman, J. D. & Chapman, H. M., 2001, The Forest Flora of Taraba and Andamawa States, Nigeria. WWF & University of Canterbury. p 180

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