Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten

Family

Annonaceae

show more data (6)

Chromosome number

2n = 16

Synonyms

Enantia polycarpa (DC.) Engl. & Diels (1901).

show more data (6)

Vernacular names

African yellow wood, yellow wood (En). Moambe jaune (Fr).

show more data (1)

Origin and geographic distribution

Annickia polycarpa occurs from Sierra Leone east to Nigeria and western Cameroon.

show more data (17)

Uses

The wood of Annickia polycarpa is used for house building, light flooring, interior trim, joinery, furniture, cabinet making, musical instruments such as xylophones, tool handles, ladders, paddles, shovels, toys, novelties, boxes, crates, canoes, carving and turnery. It is suitable for ship building, veneer and plywood.
The bark is extensively used for hut construction in West Africa, especially in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. It yields a bright yellow dye used for dyeing cloth, leather, mats, cotton and palm fibre. In southern Nigeria the fibrous bark is used for making cups. Various traditional medicines are prepared from the bark. In Côte d’Ivoire, a bark decoction is used as an antiseptic to treat sores, ulcers, leprosy and ophthalmia, whereas the Guéré people use a bark extract in arrow poison. In Liberia and Nigeria the bark is used for the treatment of skin infections and sores. In Sierra Leone bark decoctions are applied to ulcers and taken to treat jaundice. Bark decoctions are widely used to treat fever including malaria and to promote wound healing.

show more data (1)

Production and international trade

The wood of Annickia polycarpa has no commercial value on the international market; it is locally used for domestic products.

Properties

The heartwood is bright yellow, gradually turning brown with age; it is not distinctly demarcated from the sapwood. The grain is straight, texture fine. The wood has lustrous surfaces. It is medium-weight with a density of about 580 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content. The rates of shrinkage are low, from green to oven dry 2.1–3.0% radial and 3.6–5.0% tangential.
At 12% moisture content, the modulus of rupture is 98 N/mm², modulus of elasticity 12,350 N/mm², compression parallel to grain 47 N/mm², Janka side hardness 4625 N and Janka end hardness 8045 N.
Although the wood is soft, it is tough. It works easily with hand and machine tools, but splits easily. The wood polishes well and takes a good finish. It is easy to nail, usually without splitting, and holds nails firmly. The wood glues and stains well, and the peeling and slicing characteristics are good. It is not durable being susceptible to attacks by fungi, Lyctus borers, pinhole borers, termites and marine borers. The heartwood is moderately resistant to impregnation but the sapwood is easy to treat with preservatives.
The bark and leaves contain many biologically active alkaloids, most of them with an isoquinolic structure such as berberine and protoberberines. These compounds are probably responsible for the remarkable antitrypanosomal activity demonstrated in experiments. Quinine and dihydroquinidine have been isolated from the bark; this supports the traditional use against malaria in West Africa. Bark extracts showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The berberine alkaloids are responsible for the dyeing characteristics of the bark.

Adulterations and substitutes

The wood of Annickia affinis (Exell) Versteegh & Sosef is similar to that of Annickia polycarpa and used for similar purposes.

Description

Small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall; bole usually straight and cylindrical, up to 40 cm in diameter, without buttresses; bark smooth to slightly rough or fissured, green to blackish, inner bark fibrous, bright yellow; crown often small with horizontal branches; twigs glabrous, pale brown. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 3–8 mm long; blade narrowly elliptical to obovate, 5–27 cm × 2–8 cm, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, leathery, minutely hairy above, short-hairy with stellate hairs below, pinnately veined with 8–13 pairs of lateral veins. Flowers solitary on young shoots, bisexual, regular, 3-merous; pedicel 1–2(–2.5) cm long, short-hairy; sepals triangular, 1–2 cm long, hairy outside; petals opposite the sepals, elliptical, 2.5–3.5 cm long, fleshy, densely hairy and green outside, glabrous and yellow inside; stamens numerous, 3–3.5 mm long; carpels numerous, 2.5–3 mm long, hairy, stigma sessile. Fruit consisting of 5–55 indehiscent, ellipsoid to obovoid follicles 2–2.5 cm long, red to blackish when ripe, on reddish stalk up to 6 cm long, 1-seeded. Seed oblong to obovoid, slightly warty. Seedling with epigeal germination; hypocotyl 8–12 cm long, swollen at base, hairy, epicotyl 3–10 mm long, hairy; cotyledons remaining within the seed coat, leafy; first leaves opposite.

Other botanical information

Annickia is a small genus of 8 species nearly confined to West and Central Africa, but with one species endemic to north-eastern Tanzania. Annickia is characterized by having only 3 petals, which are opposite the sepals. The relationship with other genera in the family Annonaceae is still unclear.
Annickia ambigua (Robyns & Ghesq.) Setten & Maas (synonym: Enantia ambigua Robyns & Ghesq.) resembles Annickia polycarpa, but differs in slightly smaller flowers and shorter stiped follicles. It is a small tree up to 8(–12) m tall with bole up to 30 cm in diameter, occurring in southern Gabon, western Congo and western and central DR Congo. The wood resembles that of Annickia polycarpa and is used for similar purposes. The bark is used for treating wounds and as a dye.
The wood and bark of Annickia lebrunii (Robyns & Ghesq.) Setten & Maas (synonym: Enantia lebrunii Robyns & Ghesq.) are reportedly used for the same purposes. Annickia lebrunii is a small tree up to 10(–20) m tall with bole up to 25(–90) cm in diameter, occurring in Gabon (1 collection) and eastern DR Congo. Its wood is medium-weight, with a density of about 540 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content.
Annickia kummerae (Engl. & Diels) Setten & Maas (synonym: Enantia kummerae Engl. & Diels) is a medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall endemic to rainforest in north-eastern Tanzania. The wood is used for poles, implements and tool handles, and as firewood. The bark is used to dye mats yellowish and to treat wounds. Bark extracts showed strong antiplasmodial activity as well as moderate antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial activities. Annickia kummerae is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List.

Anatomy

Wood-anatomical description (IAWA hardwood codes):
Growth rings: 1: growth ring boundaries distinct; 2: growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Vessels: 5: wood diffuse-porous; 13: simple perforation plates; 22: intervessel pits alternate; 23: shape of alternate pits polygonal; 25: intervessel pits small (4–7 μm); 30: vessel-ray pits with distinct borders; similar to intervessel pits in size and shape throughout the ray cell; 42: mean tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100–200 μm; 47: 5–20 vessels per square millimetre. Tracheids and fibres: 61: fibres with simple to minutely bordered pits; 66: non-septate fibres present; 69: fibres thin- to thick-walled. Axial parenchyma: 86: axial parenchyma in narrow bands or lines up to three cells wide; 88: axial parenchyma scalariform; 89: axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands; 92: four (3–4) cells per parenchyma strand. Rays: 98: larger rays commonly 4- to 10-seriate; 102: ray height > 1 mm; (103: rays of two distinct sizes); 104: all ray cells procumbent; 106: body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells; 114: ≤ 4 rays per mm; 115: 4–12 rays per mm.
(N.P. Mollel, P.E. Gasson & H. Beeckman)

Growth and development

Flowering occurs from March to August and fruits appear from December to July. However, in Sierra Leone flowers have been recorded in November and fruits from November to February. Ripe fruits are eaten by monkeys that may disperse the seeds.

Ecology

Annickia polycarpa typically occurs in the middle story of evergreen and semi-deciduous forest. It avoids drier forest types, and is a shade bearer. It can be found in secondary forest, but does not tolerate forest fires.

show more data (10)

Propagation and planting

There are about 800 seeds per kg. Germination of seeds usually starts after 3 weeks, and after about 1 month the germination rate is 90–100%.

Handling after harvest

Logs should be treated with preservatives immediately after harvesting because they are susceptible to attack by blue stain fungi.

Genetic resources and breeding

Annickia polycarpa is fairly widespread and there are no indications of overexploitation, and therefore it does not seem to be threatened by genetic erosion.

Prospects

Annickia polycarpa will continue to provide timber, dye and medicine for local uses. The usually small size of the bole and the low durability of the wood are serious drawbacks to increased usage as a timber tree. Several pharmacological properties deserve more research attention for potential drug development, especially the antitrypanosomal, antimalarial and antibacterial activities of the bark. More information is needed on natural regeneration and growth rates of Annickia polycarpa.

Major references

• Atindehou, K.K., Schmid, C., Brun, R., Koné, M.W. & Traoré, D., 2004. Antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial activity of medicinal plants from Côte d’Ivoire. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 90(2): 221–227.
• Bolza, E. & Keating, W.G., 1972. African timbers: the properties, uses and characteristics of 700 species. Division of Building Research, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. 710 pp.
• Burkill, H.M., 1985. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 1, Families A–D. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 960 pp.
• Cooper, G.P. & Record, S.J., 1931. The evergreen forests of Liberia. School of Forestry, Yale University, Bulletin 31, New Haven, United States. 153 pp.
• Hawthorne, W. & Jongkind, C., 2006. Woody plants of western African forests: a guide to the forest trees, shrubs and lianes from Senegal to Ghana. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. 1023 pp.
• Kryn, J.M. & Fobes, E.W., 1959. The woods of Liberia. Report 2159. USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, United States. 147 pp.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 1998. Afrikanische Arzneipflanzen und Jagdgifte. Chemie, Pharmakologie, Toxikologie. 2nd Edition. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart, Germany. 960 pp.
• Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editor), 2006. 100 tropical African timber trees from Ghana: tree description and wood identification with notes on distribution, ecology, silviculture, ethnobotany and wood uses. 304 pp.
• Widodo, S.H., 2001. Crescentia L. In: van Valkenburg, J.L.C.H. & Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors). Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, Netherlands. pp. 191–194.
• Versteegh, C.P.C. & Sosef, M.S.M., 2007. Revision of the African genus Annickia (Annonaceae). Systematics and Geography of Plants 77: 91–118.

show more data (6)

Other references

• Ajali, U., 2000. Antibacterial activity of Enantia polycarpa bark. Fitoterapia 71(3): 315–316.
• Aubréville, A., 1959. La flore forestière de la Côte d’Ivoire. Deuxième édition révisée. Tome premier. Publication No 15. Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 369 pp.
• de Koning, J., 1983. La forêt de Banco. Part 2: La Flore. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen 83–1. Wageningen, Netherlands. 921 pp.
• de la Mensbruge, G., 1966. La germination et les plantules des essences arborées de la forêt dense humide de la Côte d’Ivoire. Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 389 pp.
• Eastern Arc Mountains & Coastal Forests CEPF Plant Assessment Project Participants, 2006. Annickia kummerae. In: IUCN. 2009 IUCN Red list of threatened species. [Internet] http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed March 2010.
• Fouarge, J., Sacré, E. & Mottet, A., 1950. Appropriation des bois congolais aux besoins de la métropole. Série Technique No 38. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge (INEAC), Brussels, Belgium. 17 pp.
• Hawthorne, W.D., 1995. Ecological profiles of Ghanaian forest trees. Tropical Forestry Papers 29. Oxford Forestry Institute, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. 345 pp.
• Irvine, F.R., 1961. Woody plants of Ghana, with special reference to their uses. Oxford University Press, London, United Kingdom. 868 pp.
• Keay, R.W.J., 1989. Trees of Nigeria. A revised version of Nigerian trees (1960, 1964) by Keay, R.W.J., Onochie, C.F.A. & Stanfield, D.P. Clarendon Press, Oxford, United Kingdom. 476 pp.
• Lovett, J.C., Ruffo, C.K., Gereau, R.E. & Taplin, J.R.D., 2006. Field guide to the moist forest trees of Tanzania. [Internet] Centre for Ecology Law and Policy, Environment Department, University of York, York, United Kingdom. http://celp.org.uk/ projects/ tzforeco/. Accessed March 2010.
• Malebo, H.M., Tanja, W., Cal, M., Swaleh, S.A.M., Omolo, M.O., Hassanali, A., Séquin, U., Hamburger, M., Brun, R. & Ndiege, I.O., 2009. Antiplasmodial, anti-trypanosomal, anti leishmanial and cytotoxicity activity of selected Tanzanian medicinal plants. Tanzanian Journal of Health Research 11(4): 226–234.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 1998. Alkaloids in arrow poisons. In: Roberts, M.F. & Wink, M. (Editors). Alkaloids: biochemistry, ecology, and medicinal applications. Plenum Press, New York. pp. 45–83.
• Oliver-Bever, B., 1986. Medicinal plants in tropical West Africa. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 375 pp.
• Savill, P.S. & Fox, J.E.D., 1967. Trees of Sierra Leone. Forest Department, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 316 pp.
• van Setten, A.K. & Maas, P.J.M., 1990. Studies in Annonaceae. XIV. Index to generic names of Annonaceae. Taxon 39(4): 675–690.
• Verdcourt, B., 1971. Annonaceae. In: Milne-Redhead, E. & Polhill, R.M. (Editors). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 131 pp.

Afriref references

Sources of illustration

• Versteegh, C.P.C. & Sosef, M.S.M., 2007. Revision of the African genus Annickia (Annonaceae). Systematics and Geography of Plants 77: 91–118.

Author(s)

•	E.A. Obeng Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Editors

•	R.H.M.J. Lemmens PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
•	D. Louppe CIRAD, Département Environnements et Sociétés, Cirad es-dir, Campus international de Baillarguet, TA C-DIR / B (Bât. C, Bur. 113), 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
•	A.A. Oteng-Amoako Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Associate editors

•	E.A. Obeng Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Photo editor

•	G.H. Schmelzer PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Obeng, E.A, 2011. Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed .

Additional references

Citation in books
	There are 99 book citations related to *Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in web searches
	There are 129 citation in web searches related to *Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in scholarly articles
	There are 42 citation in scholarly articles related to *Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in news articles
	There are 3 news article citations related to *Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas*. Click on "show more" to view them.

Citation in Afrirefs
	There are 7 citations in Afrirefs related to *Annickia polycarpa (DC.) Setten & Maas*. Click on "show more" to view them.