Entandrophragma candollei

Botanical Description

West African cedar is a slow-growing, deciduous, dioecious large tree, growing up to 50 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 70 metres[ 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 bole can be branchless for up to 30 metres, it is usually straight and cylindrical, up to 2 - 4 metres in diameter, often with blunt buttresses up to 4 metres high, sometimes extending into large, rounded surface roots[ 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 harvested from the wild for local medicinal use and is also widely exploited for its timber, which is traded internationally[ 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. ]. This species is one of the major sources of African mahogany. It is widespread and heavily exploited throughout its range[ 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. ]. Subpopulation densities are comparatively low and seed production is erratic, but regeneration appears to be good where parent trees remain and may also occur to some degree after burning[ 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. ]. The heavy exploitation of the species has lead to it being listed as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2009)[ 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. ].