Triplochiton scleroxylon
Sterculiaceae
Habit
Tree
Fern
No
Predominant Habitat
Forest
Geographic Distribution
Liberia
IUCN Red-List
Least Concern
Synonyms
-
Rank
-
Taxon
-
Literature
FWTA 1: 313; Flore Mt Nimba 1: 427
Vouchers
Jansen 1773 (BR, MO, WAG); Voorhoeve 1308 (WAG)
Common Name(s)
Lou (Gio) Polu (Krahn) obeche (sambawawa) (Liberian english/ local name/ trade name)
Notes
Very tall tree of the drier forest zones, to 50 m and 1.8 m Ø. Younger trees with a deep, conical crown, more spreading and rounded in older trees. Branches in pseudo whorls. Stem straight, a bit angular, with narrow buttresses. Bark thick with numerous lenticels, scaly in older trees. Slash dark brown on the outside, light yellowish brown on the inside, in interlocked tangential layers, darkening on exposure, with fine ripple marks. Leaves characteristically palmately lobed with (3) 5 (7) lobes, incised halfway the blade. Ring scars at nodes. Fruits are winged, spreading by wind. See also PROTA database.