Pachyelasma
Pachyelasma | |
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A specimen of P. tessmannii from Yangambi, Democratic Republic of the Congo that is locally known as l'arbre de l'authenticité where tribal elders held court | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Genus: | Pachyelasma Harms 1913 |
Species: | P. tessmannii
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Binomial name | |
Pachyelasma tessmannii (Harms) Harms 1913
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Synonyms[2] | |
Stachyothyrsus tessmannii Harms 1910[1] |
Pachyelasma is a genus of
flowering plants in the legume subfamily Caesalpinioideae.[3] It contains only one species, Pachyelasmia tessmannii, which is native to central Africa.[2]
Description
Pachyelasma tessmannii is an evergreen tree growing up to 60 m (200 ft) tall with a straight, cylindrical trunk up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in diameter. The flowers are red and the fruits are four-angled black pods that may be up to 37 cm (15 in) in length.[2][4]
Distribution and habitat
Pachyelasma tessmannii can be found in the wet
tropical regions of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria.[2]
Uses
The fruit is sometimes used by fishermen in remote areas of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo for poison fishing.[5] Some cocoa farmers in Cameroon mix the bark with other plant materials and extracts to create a natural pesticide[6]
References
- ^ Harms, H. (1911). Einige Nutzhölzer Kameruns. II. Leguminosae. Notizblatt Des Königl. Botanischen Gartens Und Museums Zu Berlin, 5, 9–75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27669771
- ^ a b c d "Pachyelasma tessmannii (Harms) Harms". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- hdl:10568/90658.
- .
- PMID 15302524.
- S2CID 83664935.