Tieghemella africana
Tieghemella africana
Safety & Hazards
Dust from sawn wood may cause irritation to skin and mucous membranes. It has been suggested that this is caused by the presence of saponins or the contact allergen 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone. A highly haemolytic saponin has been isolated from the wood; on hydrolysis it gave d-glucose, l-rhamnose and d-xylose[ 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
Douka is a very large tree with a heavy, rounded crown and heavy branches that are often abruptly spreading; it can grow up to 55 metres tall. The straight and cylindrical bole can be up to 250cm in diameter, sometimes much more; it is often swollen in its lower part; can be unbranched for up to 30 metres; and sometimes has buttresses. The inner bark is fibrous but brittle, exuding a sticky latex[ 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. ]. Douka is a very important tree to the local economy, producing a high quality edible oil for local use as well as an excellent timber. The wood is traded on the international timber market, but production is small due to the limited supply from natural stands[ 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 has been planted on a small scale (37 hectares in 1988 and 1989) near Ekouk (Gabon), and still smaller plantations exist elsewhere in Gabon, where the results indicate that douka is one of the best indigenous species for planting after okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana Pierre)[ 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. ]. No direct information is available on population declines but levels of exploitation are moderate. In much of West Africa habitat degradation is also a problem. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 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. ].