Gilbertiodendron limba

Botanical Description

Gilbertiodendron limba is an evergreen tree with a heavy, spreading, drooping crown; it can grow from 12 - 25 metres tall (the tallest trees are commonly found in Ghana[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]). The crooked bole is often low-branching, though it is sometimes clear; it can be up to 70cm in diameter and is unbuttressed[ 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 harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. Deforestation is a major problem in West Tropical Africa as a result of a range of anthropogenic activities. The conversion of land for agriculture, logging and the international trade of timber, mismanagement and mining are major contributors to habitat loss and degradation. Whilst as yet this species does not qualify for a threatened category, continued losses of forest within the species' range could push this taxon into a threatened category. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' 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. ].