Pterocarpus soyauxii

Taxobox
name = "Pterocarpus soyauxii"
status =
status_system =
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
tribus = Dalbergieae
genus = "Pterocarpus"
species = "P. soyauxii"
binomial = "Pterocarpus soyauxii"
binomial_authority = Taub.

"Pterocarpus soyauxii" (African Padauk or African Coralwood) is a species of "Pterocarpus" in the family Fabaceae, native to central and tropical west Africa, from Nigeria east to Congo-Kinshasa and south to Angola.International Legume Database & Information Service: [http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb?version~10.01&LegumeWeb&tno~1178&genus~Pterocarpus&species~soyauxii "Pterocarpus soyauxii"] ] Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?312067 "Pterocarpus soyauxii"] ]

It is a tree growing to 27–34 m tall, with a trunk diameter up to 1 m with flaky reddish-grey bark. The leaves are pinnate, with 11–13 leaflets. The flowers are produced in panicles. The fruit is a thorny pod 6–9 cm long, which does not split open at maturity.World Agroforestry Centre: [http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/Sea/Products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=17977 "Pterocarpus soyauxii"] ]

Uses

The leaves are edible, and contain large amounts of vitamin C; they are eaten as a leaf vegetable.

Bark extracts are used in herbal medicine to treat skin parasites and fungal infections.

The wood is valuable; it is very durable, red at first, becoming purplish-brown on exposure to light, with a density of 0.79 g/cm³.CIRAD Forestry Department: [http://tropix.cirad.fr/africa/padouk.pdf Padouk (pdf file)] ] It is resistant to termites. It is valued for making drums in Africa due to its tonal resonance.

Dust from the wood produced during wood processing can cause dermatitis in some people. [Kiec-Swierczynska, M., Krecisz, B., Swierczynska-Machura, D., Palczynski, C. (2004). Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by padauk wood ("Pterocarpus soyauxii" Taub.). "Contact Dermatitis" 50 (6): 384-385. [http://www.cababstractsplus.org/google/abstract.asp?AcNo=20043145094 Abstract] ]

Native African names include Kisese (Congo), Mbel (Cameroon), Mukula, N'gula (Zaire), and Tacula (Angola).

References