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Aptandra zenkeri Engl.

Protologue  
 Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam., II–IV Nachtr. 1: 147 (1897).
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Family  
 Olacaceae
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Synonyms  
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Vernacular names  
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Origin and geographic distribution  
 Aptandra zenkeri occurs from Liberia east to DR Congo, and south to Angola.
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Uses  
 The wood, if available in sufficiently large pieces, is used for joinery. It is also used for charcoal production. Powdered burnt wood mixed with palm oil is applied to treat liver problems. Powdered seeds are used as a hair dressing.
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Production and international trade  
 The wood of Aptandra zenkeri is only used locally.
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Properties  
 The wood is pale pink to reddish, hard and resistant to decay.
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Botany  
 Dioecious shrub or small tree up to 15 m tall; bole branching low, up to 25 cm in diameter; bark surface reddish, with lenticels; twigs green, glabrous. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 0.5–1 cm long, grooved above; blade lanceolate to elliptical, 5–13(–17) cm × 2–6 cm, cuneate at base, acute to short-acuminate at apex, leathery, glabrous, pinnately veined with 5–7 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence a short axillary raceme, glabrous, 10–30-flowered. Flowers unisexual, regular, 4-merous, small; pedicel up to 1(–1.5) cm long, elongating in fruit; calyx cup-shaped, minute, toothed; petals free, c. 4 mm × 1 mm, fleshy, glabrous, greenish white, with thick glandular lobes opposite petals; stamens fused into a tube 1.5–3.5 mm long, pink; ovary superior, c. 1 mm long, glabrous, style c. 2 mm long; male flowers with non-functional ovary; female flowers with sterile stamens. Fruit an ellipsoid-ovoid drupe 1.5–2.5(–3) cm long, blue-black when ripe, with an annular orange-red disk at base, subtended by the much enlarged, up to 10 cm wide, pink calyx, 1-seeded. Seed oily.
Aptandra comprises about 5 species, all in tropical America except Aptandra zenkeri. It is most closely related to Ongokea.
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Description  
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Ecology  
 Aptandra zenkeri grows in rainforest on valley bottoms, in undergrowth of deciduous forest in damp sites, in upland mixed forest and on river banks or in regularly flooded localities, up to 850 m altitude.
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Genetic resources and breeding  
 Aptandra zenkeri is widespread and there are no indications that it is in danger of genetic erosion.
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Prospects  
 Aptandra zenkeri is likely to remain of limited local use.
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Major references  
 • 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.
• Burkill, H.M., 1997. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 4, Families M–R. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 969 pp.
• Louis, J. & Léonard, J., 1948. Olacaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., De Wildeman, E., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Lebrun, J., Louis, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 1. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 249–278.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.
• Villiers, J.-F., 1973. Olacaceae. Flore du Cameroun. Volume 15. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. pp. 101–162.
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Other references  
 • 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.
• 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.
• Irvine, F.R., 1961. Woody plants of Ghana, with special reference to their uses. Oxford University Press, London, United Kingdom. 868 pp.
• Malécot, V. & Nickrent, D.L., 2008. Molecular phylogenetic relationships of Olacaceae and related Santalales. Systematic Botany 33(1): 97–106.
• Normand, D. & Paquis, J., 1976. Manuel d’identification des bois commerciaux. Tome 2. Afrique guinéo-congolaise. Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 335 pp.
• Villiers, J.-F., 1973. Olacacées. Flore du Gabon. Volume 20. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. pp. 101–162.
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Author(s)  
 
L.P.A. Oyen
PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands


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 105 / D (Bât. C, Bur. 113), 34398 Montpellier Cédex 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  
 Oyen, L.P.A., 2012. Aptandra zenkeri Engl. [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 .



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General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Timber use
Medicinal use



Aptandra zenkeri
wild



Aptandra zenkeri
Aptandra zenkeri



Aptandra zenkeri
Aptandra zenkeri


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