Family:
Irvingiaceae
Genus:
Irvingia Hook.f.

Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O'Rorke) Baill.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Benin to Uganda and N. Angola.

[FTEA]

Ixonanthaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit
Tree usually 18-36(-50) m. tall, with ample crown and with bole 0.7-1 m. diameter at the base, sometimes with buttresses 2-5 m. tall; bark grey, slightly scaly; slash yellow-brown, granular, mottled.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves elliptic to obovate- or ovate-elliptic, 3.5-16 cm. long, 1.8-7.5 cm. wide, shortly broadly acuminate at the apex, cuneate to narrowly rounded at the base, rather coriaceous, glabrous, dark and glossy above, paler beneath, the venation prominently reticulate; lateral nerves on either side±7-10; petiole 0.8-1.7 cm. long, channelled; stipules narrow, curved, 0.5-1.5 cm. long, covering the leaf-bud.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers fragrant, small, clustered in few-several-flowered umbel-like clusters in raceme-like or paniculate axillary inflorescences up to 5 cm. long; pedicels slender, 5-10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals rounded-ovate, 1.25 mm. long, at length reflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals greenish or greenish yellow, elliptic, 3-5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary±1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens equal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits hanging, clustered, yellow, broadly oblong-ellipsoid, 5-8 cm. long, 3.5-7 cm. wide, 3-4 cm. thick, rather mango-like; skin smooth; endocarp hard, covered with dense long bristly fibres.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed chestnut brown, glossy, woody, elliptic in outline, 3-5 cm. long, 2-3 cm. wide, 1 cm. thick, compressed.
Figures
Fig. 3.
Habitat
Evergreen forest; 900-1170 m.
Distribution
U2 U4 Senegal to Angola, Zaire and Sudan

[FWTA]

Irvingiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A forest tree, to 120 ft. high
Morphology Leaves
Dark green shining foliage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers greenish, fragrant
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits yellow, edible
Ecology
Often seen in villages and towns in the forest regions.

Native to:

Angola, Benin, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Nigeria, Uganda, Zaïre

Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O'Rorke) Baill. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Dec 1, 2003 Etuge, M. [1772], Cameroon K000380138 No
Dec 1, 2003 Cheek, M. [10116], Cameroon K000380140 No
Dec 1, 2003 Etuge, M. [4303], Cameroon K000380136 No
Dec 1, 2003 Cheek, M. [9720], Cameroon K000380139 No
Dec 1, 2003 Cheek, M. [10130], Cameroon K000380137 No
Jan 1, 1996 Ndam, N. [1149], Cameroon K000011882 No
Jan 1, 1996 Ndam, N. [1325], Cameroon K000011883 No
May 1, 1993 Duparquet [s.n.], Gabon K000435084 Yes
May 1, 1993 Zenker, G.A. [2329], Cameroon K000435085 Unknown type material Yes
May 1, 1993 Mann, G. [1829], Cameroon K000435087 Unknown type material Yes
May 1, 1993 Zenker, G.A. [806], Cameroon K000435088 Yes
May 1, 1993 Klaine, R.P. [61], Gabon K000435091 Yes
May 1, 1993 Irving [75], Nigeria K000435080 Yes
May 1, 1993 Barter [2012] K000435083 Yes
May 1, 1993 Klaine, R.P. [2571], Gabon K000435089 Yes
May 1, 1993 Chevalier, A. [3157], Senegal K000435078 Unknown type material Yes
May 1, 1993 Irving [74], Nigeria K000435079 Yes
May 1, 1993 Binuyo, A. [FHI 35566], Cameroon K000094492 No
May 1, 1993 Mann, G. [2206], Cameroon K000094489 No
May 1, 1993 Mann, G. [2206], Cameroon K000094490 No
Small, D. [623], Sierra Leone 16458.000 No
Pyne, C.T. [102], Sierra Leone 18781.000 No
Meikle, R.D. [1122], Nigeria 25004.000 No
Thomas, D.W. [618], Cameroon 43429.000 No
Harris, D.J. [3011], Côte d'Ivoire 60003.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2546], Cameroon 63024.000 No
Harris, D.J. [3262], Congo 63026.000 No
Harris, D,J. [2500B], Cameroon 63035.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2378], Cameroon 63065.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2468], Cameroon 63072.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2486], Cameroon 63074.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2377], Cameroon 63079.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2482], Cameroon 63084.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2529], Cameroon 63096.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2500], Cameroon 63109.000 No
Harris, D.J. [3011], Côte d'Ivoire 63110.000 No
Harris, D.J. [2483], Cameroon 63123.000 No
Gartlan, J.S. [23], Cameroon 7338.000 No
Irving [74], Nigeria K000435081 Yes
Zenker, G.A. [1706], Cameroon K000435086 Unknown type material Yes
Harris, D.J. [2378], Cameroon K000094495 No
Irving [75], Nigeria K000435082 Yes
Klaine, R.P. [61], Gabon K000435090 Yes
Harris, D.J. [2377], Cameroon K000094496 No
Etuge, M. [78], Cameroon K000094488 No

First published in Traité Bot. Méd. Phan. 2: 841 (1884)

Accepted by

  • Berhaut, J. (1975). Flore illustrée du Sénégal 4: 1-625. Gouvernement du Sénégal, Ministère du développement rural direction des eaux et forêta, Dakar.
  • Catarino, L., Sampaio Martins, E., Pinto-Basto, M.F. & Diniz, M.A. (2006). Plantas Vasculares e Briófitos da Guiné-Bissau: 1-298. Instituto de investigação científica tropical, Instituto Português de apoio ao desenvolvimento.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Harris, D.J. (1999). Species Plantarum: Flora of the World 1: 1-25. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.
  • Jongkind, C. (2014). Fauna & Flora of Liberia, flowering plant species list www.liberianfaunaflora.org.
  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo). Taxonomania. Revue de Taxonomie et de Nomenclature Botaniques 30: 1-307.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Aubrév. Fl. For C. Iv. 2: 96, t. 165
  • E. & P. Pflanzenfam. 19A: 398, fig. 187.
  • Trait. Méd. Phan. 2: 881 (1883)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 1: 1-114. ORSTOM, Bangui.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Harris, D.J. (1999). Species Plantarum: Flora of the World 1: 1-25. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Aubrév., Fl. For. Côte d’Ivoire, ed. 2, 2: 122, fig. 173 (1959)
  • Aubrév., Fl. Gabon, 3 Irvingiacées: 22, t. 3 (1962).
  • Baill., Traité Bot. Méd. Phan. 2: 881 (1884).
  • Engl. in A. Engler & K. Prantl, Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, ed. 2, 19A: 398, fig. 187 (1931).
  • G. Gilbert in Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi, 7: 115 (1958).
  • Heckel in Ann. Inst. Bot.-Géol. Marseille 1, Mém. 2: 1-31, fig. (1893)
  • Heckel in Rev. Sci. Nat. Appliq.: 397-416, figs. 1-7 (1893).
  • Keay, Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 693 (1958).
  • W.J. Eggeling, Indigenous Trees of the Uganda Protectorate, ed. 2: 409, fig. 85 (1952).

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    Flora of West Tropical Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0