Pericopsis angolensis

Botanical Description

Pericopsis angolensis is a deciduous shrub or tree with a rounded crown; it usually grows from 10 - 20 metres tall, but sometimes barely exceeds 3 metres, whilst exceptional specimens up to 27 metres have also been recorded. The bole is often curved or twisted, it can be free of branches for up to 7.5 metres, and up to 100cm in diameter[ 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. , 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 often harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. Pericopsis angolensis produces an excellent quality timber, but the trees often occur too scattered or their boles are too small or poorly shaped for commercial exploitation, except in Mozambique, where they are locally of some importance for the timber market. The wood is traded in small amounts on the international timber market[ 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. ]. Pericopsis angolensis is widespread and locally common, and not threatened. However, in several areas it has become vulnerable because of overexploitation, e.g. In Malawi where the boles are much collected for poles and firewood, and the roots and bark for local medicine. In these areas larger trees are difficult to find, whereas inferior trees predominate in the remaining populations[ 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. ].