''Berlinia korupensis'' is a species of tree up to 42 m (138 feet) tall and 88 cm (35 in) in diameter, belonging to the Senna subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name ''Caesalpinia''. It is known also as the peacock flower subfamily. The Caesalpinioideae ...
of the Bean Family, and is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
Korup National Park in
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
,
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
. Having produced large, delicate white flowers remindful of
Bauhinia, the species' seed pods can grow to be 30 cm long. Seed dispersal is explosive with the opposing halves of the pods tightening as they dry until suddenly they split and shoot seeds for a distance that can be as great as 50 metres (165 feet). It is on the
Critically Endangered list as thus far only 17 trees have been found.
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8424817.stm BBC News] This is a very recent discovery, having been unknown to the outside world prior to June of 2010.
References
External links
Kew Species Profile: ''Berlinia korupensis''
Detarioideae
Endemic flora of Cameroon
Plants described in 2009
{{Detarioideae-stub