''Distemonanthus'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
. It belongs to the subfamily
Dialioideae
The subfamily Dialioideae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae (legumes). This subfamily includes many tropical trees and shrubs. The subfamily consists of 17 genera, which are widespread throughout the tropics. It has the foll ...
.
It contains a single species, ''Distemonanthus benthamianus'', a deciduous tree,
which occurs widely but sparsely in the forest regions of Tropical West and Central Africa; it is sometimes confused with ''
Pericopsis laxiflora'' due to similar morphological features.
Mature
heartwood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
has a moderate resistance to fungi.
Description
A big tree, it grows up to 40 meters tall and 90 cm in diameter. Trunk is straight but can sometimes be slightly sinuous; fairly spreading
buttress roots at the base, free of branches for up to 20 meters. Bark, brown - reddish brown. Leaves, pinnately compound arrangement, 7 - 10 leaflets. Leaf-blade, ovate - elliptical in outline. Fruit, indehiscent pods
Distribution
Tree grows in the high forest of
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
and
Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
. Occurs in Gabon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon. In Gabon, it is known as Movingui.
Uses
Parts of the root is used as a chewing stick for dental hygiene in parts of Nigeria. Bark extracts are used to treat incidents of diarrhea by traditional health practitioners.
Used also for decorative veneers and joinery.
References
Dialioideae
Monotypic Fabaceae genera
{{Fabaceae-stub