| DESCRIPTION: It is a deciduous tree growing to 40 m in height and 3 m in girth, with the branches arranged in whorls and spreading horizontally. Leaves crowded at the ends of branchlets, digitate, with 7-9 leaflets. USE: The seeds have a pleasant taste and are sometimes eaten. Edible oils are obtainable from the seed. Leafs and seed are used as fodder. The wood is used as timber. Leaves and bark have considerable medicinal value; in Ghana, seeds are taken as a purgative. Oil from the seed is extracted on a local scale to be used in medicine. Cord is made from the bark fibre. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: bastard poon tree, hazel sterculia, wild almond tree. FURTHER INF: It shows good adaptability to soil, but probably needs soils with sufficient moisture for optimum development. It demands light and needs a lot of space for proper development. |
