Cordia platythyrsa

Cordia platythyrsa or West African cordia is a tall, flowering tree in the borage family (Boraginaceae), native to western and central Africa. Its soft wood is often used for furniture or other carpentry. It is considered "vulnerable" as it is threatened by logging.

Cordia platythyrsa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Cordia
Species:
C. platythyrsa
Binomial name
Cordia platythyrsa

Common names include ebe or mukumari (Cameroon, Gabon), omo (Nigeria), and tweneboa (Ghana).

Range

West african cordia is native to Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[2]

Description and uses

The tree grows to over 30 m in height and 1 m in diameter.[3] The wood is pale yellow to almost white in color and used mainly for furniture making, interior joinery, domestic items, canoes, and musical instruments. It has low density (0.5 g/cm3) and is very soft (Monnin hardness 1.3),[4] with a spongy, fibrous texture.

Status

The species is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened species, due to potential logging threats.[1]

References
  1. African Regional Workshop (Conservation & Sustainable Management of Trees, Zimbabwe, July 1996) (1998). "Cordia platythyrsa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T33043A9752794. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33043A9752794.en. Retrieved July 18, 2020.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Cordia platythyrsa". The Wood Explorer. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  3. "Cordia platythyrsa". JSTOR Plant Science. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  4. "Cordia d'Afrique" (PDF). TROPIX. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
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