Pterocarpus lucens
Fabaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Pterocarpus lucens

Pterocarpus lucens

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The sawdust may cause irritation in workers[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Botanical Description

Pterocarpus lucens is a deciduous shrub or tree with a dense and narrow crown; it can grow from 3 - 18 metres tall[ 325 Title Seed Leaflets Publication Author Various Website http://en.sl.life.ku.dk/Publikationer/Udgivelser/PopulaerPublikationer.aspx?katid={D28373CC-6EF3-4EF8-B097-6D83FABF209E}&serieid={9F1C3DB1-6E7B-4CF1-AF53-F480B0CB40EF}&sort=title Publisher Forest & Landscape. Denmark Year 0 ISBN Description A series of leaflets, jointly produced by the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, focussing on seed information for a number species, but also giving a lot of other information about each plant. , 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ], 774. The bole is generally straight, up to 20cm in diameter but branching from low down[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ]. Sometimes the tree has a more shrubby, much-branched habit[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ]. The tree is gathered from the wild for a range of local uses, including edible leaves, fuel timber, tannins and medicines. Pterocarpus lucens has a large geographical distribution across tropical Africa. The taxon is known to occur within a number of protected areas and seeds have been collected by the Millennium Seed Bank Project. It is not considered to be severely threatened thought its range, however, a monitoring programme is advised to ensure that this taxon is not over-exploited. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2012)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeTropical Africa - the savannah belt from Mali to Ethiopia. Also in southern Africa - Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and S. Africa.
HabitatSavannah, (dry) wooded grassland, deciduous woodland with Combretum, particularly on rocky outcrops; marigot, wet but well-drained sites, skeletal soils, lateritic depressions; locally gregarious; at elevations of 550 - 1,520 metres[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ].