Baillonella toxisperma

Botanical Description

African pearwood is a very large tree that can grow up to 60 - 70 metres tall; with a bole that can be up to 300 - 500 cm in diameter, straight and cylindrical, sometimes swollen in lower part, reaching up to 30 metres to the first branches, without buttresses[ 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. ]. The plant provides foods and medicines, and is extremely important to local people who often make temporary homes near the trees when they are fruiting[ 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. ]. The tree is both semi-cultivated and fully cultivated for its fruit and oil-bearing seeds - both the bark and the oil from the fruit are traded in local markets[ 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. , 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. The tree is heavily exploited for its wood, which is traded internationally, and this has led to conflicts between native peoples and timber companies. In one instance this has resulted in a law endowing the village chief with the power to authorize the cutting of any of the trees within a 5 km distance from the village[ 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. ].