Berlinia congolensis

Botanical Description

Berlinia congolensis is a tree that can grow from 3 - 20 metres tall. The bole can be 15 - 65cm in diameter, occasionally reaching 120cm. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. There are no documented reports, but the plant is very likely to be harvested from the wild for local use of its wood - the wood is also likely to be traded, in mixed consignments with other members of the genus. Berlinia congolensis is known to occur within the protected areas network but the level of deforestation and natural habitat degradation in some of the other areas in which the species occurs are high. There are no estimates of population numbers for this species so population decline cannot be assessed with certainty, however it is not thought to be over the threshold for a threatened category. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 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. ].