Afzelia bipindensis
Harms
Apa
Wikimedia Commons - Volker Haag
(c) peterwebb, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by peterwebb
(c) Gordon C. Snelling, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gordon C. Snelling
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds - spice
The seeds are used as a spice.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the humid forest zone. It grows in forests along rivers. It occurs at about 900 m above sea level.
Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Gabon, Nigeria, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia,
How to Identify
A tree. It grows 25-40 m tall. The trunk is straight and can be 20 m tall and 140 cm across. It has short buttresses. The leaves are alternate and compound. There are 5-7 pairs of leaflets. The fruit is a kidney shaped flattened pod. 11-20 cm long by 6-8 cm wide. It opens with 2 woody valves and contains up to 15 seeds.
How to Grow
It can be grown from fresh seeds.
Propagation: Seed - Vegetative propagation by budding/grafting could be feasible.
Medicinal Uses
The sap is used to treat stomach troubles and ease pain.
Other Uses
The bark of most species in this genus is a source of tannins. The heartwood is golden-brown to light red-brown, sometimes with darker veins; it is clearly demarcated from the 2 - 5cm wide band of yellowish sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain straight or interlocked. The wood is light in weight, soft, durable to very durable, being resistant to termites and dry wood borers and very resistant to fungi. It seasons slowly, with a slight risk of checking or distortion; once dried it is stable in service. The wood is hard to cut, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but pre-boring is recommended; gluing is correct for internal use; filling is recommended to obtain a good finish. A valuable timber, the wood has a wide range of uses, including for ship building, construction, interior and exterior joinery and panelling, cabinetwork, cooperage, shingles etc.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Afzelia bipindensis (common name apa) is an economic species of tropical forest tree in the family Fabaceae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, and Uganda. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Production
In Central African Republic plants have been recorded flowering in March to April and fruiting September to November.
Names & Synonyms
References (2)
- FAO Corporate Document Repository. The Major Significance of 'Minor' Forest Products. Appendix 3
- Ferns, Useful Tropical Plants.
