''Erythrophleum suaveolens'', also known as the ordeal tree, is a species of flowering plant that can be found across most of tropical Africa. The species are in height, and have a rough and blackish bark. The plants leaves have 2–3 pairs of

pinnae The auricle or auricula is the visible part of the ear that is outside the head. It is also called the pinna (Latin for "wing" or " fin", plural pinnae), a term that is used more in zoology. Structure The diagram shows the shape and location ...

, which carry 7–13 leaflets. The leaflets are , are green coloured and

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ova ...

. The flowers have fluffy spikes, and are creamy-yellow coloured. Fruits are hard, the pod of which is flat. The bark of the tree has been used in Liberia to make a toxic concoction used for a form of

trial by ordeal Trial by ordeal was an ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. In medieval Europe, like trial by combat, tri ...

called "

sassywood Sassywood is a form of trial by ordeal still in use in Liberia. There are various types of ordeal. The principal one involves the drinking of a poisonous concoction made of the bark of the '' Erythrophleum suaveolens'' tree. Another involves the ru ...

". This use has given it the common name of the "Ordeal Tree". Flowers of Erythrophleum suaveolens

References

External links

suaveolens Plants described in 1832 Flora of Africa {{Caesalpinioideae-stub