Family:
Meliaceae Juss.
Genus:
Entandrophragma C.DC.

Entandrophragma utile (Dawe & Sprague) Sprague

This species is accepted, and its native range is W. Tropical Africa to Uganda and Angola.

[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
A large forest tree, to 210 ft. high, with long straight bole
Morphology Trunk Buttresses
Buttresses usually well developed
Morphology General Bark
Bark usually grey-brown with well-marked longitudinal fissures
Morphology Trunk Slash
Slash thick, reddish brown with paler lines, almost scentless
Morphology Leaves
Leaves clustered at the ends of the branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences tomentellous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white.

[FTEA]

Meliaceae, Styles & F. White (Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Tree to 50 m. high, or, rarely, taller; crown regular with few though massive branches and with the leaves clustered at the ends of thick branchlets; bole long, cylindrical, scarcely tapered; buttresses rounded, extending up the bole for 2–5 m.; bark thick, grey-brown, regularly cracked and fissured into squarish, scale-like pieces 3–6 cm. across; these pieces persist for a long period; newly-exposed surface pale warm brown.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves up to 50 cm. long; leaflets 16–32, opposite, subopposite or alternate, oblong-lanceolate, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, but the proximal pairs often ovate, up to 14 × 5 cm., apex gradually acuminate, base unequally rounded and usually subocordate; lower surface almost glabrous except for conspicuous tufts of hair in the axils of the 10–16 pairs of lateral nerves; venation closely reticulate but not very prominent on both surfaces; petiole slightly winged, covered with short rusty hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence up to 20 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.1 cm. long, tomentellous, scarcely lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 0.5 cm. long, densely puberulous to tomentellous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube 0.3 cm. long, urceolate, margin subentire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule club- shaped, rounded at the apex, 14–21 × 4.5 cm.; valves 0.8 cm. thick, thickened and incurved at the apex, dehiscing from the apex of the capsule and remaining firmly attached to the base, the whole capsule falling entire, brownish black outside and with large rusty lenticels, shining golden-brown inside with darker streaks; scars on columella small, inconspicuous, without hairs, disposed in a single, ± central line on each face of the columella and connected by a sinuous irregular groove.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds (including wing) ± 9.5 × 2 cm., dark brown, obliquely truncate at the base.
Figures
Fig. 16.
Habitat
Lowland rain-forest; 1100–1400 m.
Distribution
U1 U2 U4 Sierra Leone to Uganda and Angola

Native to:

Angola, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zaïre

Entandrophragma utile (Dawe & Sprague) Sprague appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jul 1, 1948 Vermoesen, F.C.M. [1864] K000432149 Yes
Jordan, H. [2056], Sierra Leone 16518.000 No
Styles, B.T. [342a], Uganda 25694.010 No
Styles, B.T. [334], Uganda 25694.039 No
Dawe, M.T. [1002], Uganda K000432142 Yes
Dawe, M.T. [1002], Uganda K000432143 Yes
Forteh, S. [FHI 8396], Cameroon K000094081 No
Dawe, M.T. [1002], Uganda K000432144 Yes
Dawe, M.T. [186], Uganda K000432141 Unknown type material Yes
Forteh, S. [FHI 8396], Cameroon K000094082 No

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1910: 180 (1910)

Accepted by

  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Govaerts, R. (2001). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS E-F: 1-50919.
  • Kalema, J. & Beentje, H. (2012). Conservation checklist of the trees of Uganda: 1-235. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo) Taxonomania 30: 1-307.
  • Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.
  • Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (eds.) (2015). Flore du Gabon 47: 1-115. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
  • Styles, B.T. & White, F. (1991). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Meliaceae: 1-67.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Aubrév. Fl. For. C. Iv. 2: 144, t. 180, 4–5, t. 181, b, t. 182, b, t. 183, 1–2
  • For. Trees & Timbers Brit. Emp. 4: 48, fig. 8, t. 8
  • Harms in E. & P. Pflanzenfam. 19B, 1: 60, fig. 8
  • Kennedy For. Fl. S. Nig. 171
  • Pellegr. in Notulae Syst. 9: 41
  • Staner in Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 16: 239.
  • in Kew Bull. 1910: 180

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hutchinson, J., Dalziel, J.M. & Keay, R.W.J. (1954-1958). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 1-828.
  • Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.
  • Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (eds.) (2015). Flore du Gabon 47: 1-115. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Eggeling & Harris, For. Trees Brit. Emp. 4: 48, photo. 8, t. 8 (1939).
  • Excell & Mendonça in Consp. Fl. Angol. 1: 310 (1951).
  • Keay in Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 1: 700, t. 195 (1958).
  • Sprague in Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Kew 1910: 180 (1910).
  • Staner & Gilbert in Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi, 7: 182 (1958).
  • Styles in E. Afr. Agric. Journ. 39: 412 (1974).
  • W.J. Eggeling, Indigenous Trees of the Uganda Protectorate, ed. 2: 180, photo. 32, t. 40 (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