Nauclea latifolia (pin cushion tree)
Datasheet Types: Tree, Host plant
Abstract
This datasheet on Nauclea latifolia covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Environmental Requirements, Uses, Management, Further Information.
Identity
- Preferred Scientific Name
- Nauclea latifolia Sm.
- Preferred Common Name
- pin cushion tree
- Other Scientific Names
- Nauclea esculenta (Afzel. ex Sabine) Merr.
- Nauclea russeggeri Kotschy ex Schwinf.
- Sarcocephalus esculentus Afzel. ex Sabine
- Sarcocephalus latifolius (Sm.) Bruce
- Sarcocephalus russeggeri Kotschy ex Schweinf
- Sarcocephalus sambunicus K. Schum
- Sarcocephalus sassandrae A. Chev
- International Common Names
- Frenchliane à fraises
- Local Common Names
- Beninkoma
- Guineabadibahibarobatidoudédundakédundédundu badidunndukkéedjikkulundomon leuthnandok
- Guinea-Bissaudundakhé
- India/Dadra and Nagar Haveliedjikmon leuth
- Malibadibahibarobatidundu badi
- Sierra Leonedoudédundakédundékulundonandok
- Togokoma
- Ugandakibuki-lingikilingi
- EPPO code
- NUCLA (Nauclea latifolia)
Pictures

Leaves
Foliage of young N. latifolia tree growing in Upper Guinea.
Dirk Thies

Bark
Bark slash on N. latifolia growing in Upper Guinea.
Dirk Thies

Leaf
Close-up of N. latifolia leaf (Upper Guinea). Leaves measure 18 x 10 cm and are shiny and dark green, elliptic or suborbicular in shape.
Dirk Thies

Flower
Pin cushion tree flower (3-4 cm) growing in Upper Guinea.
Dirk Thies
Overview
Importance
N. latifolia (pin cushion tree) is a West African evergreen tree that can also grow as a shrub or liana depending on site conditions and vegetation cover. In savanna woodlands it can grow up to heights of 9 m (stem dbh to 30 cm), whereas in the understorey of dry forests it occurs as a liana. It occurs in phytogeographical areas corresponding to the Sudanian Regional Centre of Endemism, the Guineo-Congolia/Sudania Regional Transition Zone and the drier peripheral semi-evergreen Guineo-Congolian lowland rainforests (White, 1983). It is most often found in savanna in association with Parkia biglobosa, Prosopis africana and Dichrostachys glomerata. The main geographical distribution corresponds to a climate of tropical type (tropical savanna climate and tropical rainforest climate of Koeppen/Geiger or tropical humid-summer climate and tropical rainy climate of Troll/Pfaffen) with summer rain or a uniform rainfall regime, and is characterized by annual precipitation of 800 to 2700 mm with a dry season no longer than 8 months.The leaves are large (18 x 10 cm), dark green, persistent, elliptic or suborbicular, shiny and glabrous. The flowers are tubular, solitary on short peduncles, small (3-4 cm in diameter), white and closely pressed together on a globular head. The fruits are red at maturity with pink flesh and measure 3-8 cm in diameter, containing many tiny browninsh seeds in a white pulp (Katende et al., 1995).N. latifolia prefers medium to heavy, acid to neutral, free-draining soils, and tolerates shade, fire and termites. It regenerates rapidly, has a good ability to sucker and is suitable for coppicing. It can be propagated by cuttings or planting stock. N. latifolia can be employed for soil conservation and mulching purposes and is grown for shelterbelts, windbreaks and hedges. The wood is used as fuelwood and for services such as poles and piles. The liana is used in joints when building hedges or roofs.N. latifolia has important medicinal uses in the treatment of malaria, wounds, coughs, gonorrhoea, stomach aches and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Sourabie et al. (1994) found antibacterial constituents in alcoholic extracts of N. latifolia, and antihelmintic (Asuzu and Njoku, 1996) and antiplasmodial effects (Benoit-Vical et al., 1998) have been recorded. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, N. latifolia is one of the most common plants used to treat diabetes. The fruit is consumed locally, but is not marketed as a commodity or commercialized.
Taxonomic Tree
Distribution Map
Distribution Table
Latitude/Altitude Ranges
Latitude North (°N) | Latitude South (°S) | Altitude lower (m) | Altitude upper (m) |
---|---|---|---|
13 | -5 | 100 | 1200 |
Air Temperature
Parameter | Lower limit (°C) | Upper limit (°C) |
---|---|---|
Absolute minimum temperature | 5 | |
Mean annual temperature | 19 | 31 |
Rainfall
Parameter | Lower limit | Upper limit | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Dry season duration | 7 | number of consecutive months with <40 mm rainfall | |
Mean annual rainfall | 800 | 2700 | mm; lower/upper limits |
Rainfall Regime
Summer
Uniform
Soil Tolerances
Soil texture > medium
Soil reaction > acid
Soil drainage > free
List of Pests
Wood Products
Roundwood > Piles
Roundwood > Posts
Silviculture Characteristics
Tolerates > fire
Tolerates > shade
Tolerates > termites
Ability to > sucker
Ability to > coppice
Silviculture Practice
Vegetative propagation by > cuttings
Stand establishment using > natural regeneration
Stand establishment using > planting stock
References
Asuzu IU, Njoku CJ, 1996. The anthelmintic effect of Alstonia boonei bark and Nauclea latifolia leaf aqueous extracts on Trichostrongylus infective larvae. Fitoterapia, 67(3):220-222; 5 ref.
Aubreville A, 1950. Flore Forestière Soudano-guinéenne. Paris, France: Société d'éditions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales.
Aubreville A, 1959. The forest flora of the Ivory Coast. Vols. I-III. [La flore forestiere de la Cote d'Ivoire. Tomes I-III.] Publ. Centre Tech. For. Trop., 15 (Second edition, revised).
Basilevskaia, 1969. Plantes médicinales de la Guinée. Conakry, Guinea.
Benoit-Vical F, Valentin A, Cournac V, Pélissier Y, Mallié M, Bastide JM, 1998. In vitro antiplasmodial activity of stem and root extracts of Nauclea latifolia S.M. (Rubiaceae). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 61(3):173-178.
Berhaut J, 1976. Illustrated flora of Senegal. Dicotyledons. Vol. V: Leguminosae Papilionaceae. [Flore illustree du Senegal. Dicotyledones. Tome V. Legumineuses Papilionacees.].
Carlowitz PG von, Wolf GV, Kempermann REM, 1991. MPTS ICRAF: Multipurpose Tree & Shrub Database. Nairobi, Kenya: ICRAF.
Katende AB, Birnie A, Tegnas B, 1995. Useful trees and shrubs for Uganda: Identification, Propagation and Management for Agricultural and Pastoral Communities. Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA). Nairobi, Kenya. Majestic Printing Works Ltd.
Letouzey R, 1982. Manuel de Botanique Forestière. Paris, France: Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT).
Madubunyi II, 1995. Antihepatotoxic and trypanocidal activities of the ethanolic extract of Nauclea latifolia root bark. Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, 3(2):23-35; 22 ref.
Mandango MA, Boemu L, Bongombola M, Ihlenfeldt HD (et al), 1990. Antidiabetic plants of Kinshasa, Zaire. [Plantes antidiabetiques de Kinshasa (Zaire).] Proceedings of the Twelfth Plenary Meeting of AETFAT, Hamburg, September 4-10, 1988. Mitteilungen aus dem Institut fur Allgemeine Botanik Hamburg, 23b:1021-1031.
Morah FN, Etim IC, 1997. Nauclea latifolia fruit as a potential feed for livestock. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 67(4):347-348; 10 ref.
Sourabie S, Kabore ZI, Guissou IP, 1994. Study comparing the antibacterial of aqueous alcoholic extracts of the active constituents of Holarrhena floribunda (G. Don) Dur et Schinz and Nauclea latifolia Sm. Médecine d'Afrique Noire, 41(3):181-185; 8 ref.
Thies E, 1995. Principaux ligneux (agro-) forestiers de la Guinée. Zone de transition [Principal (agro-) forestry woody species of the Guinea transition zone: Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon]. Schriftenreihe der GTZ, 253. Eschborn, Germany: Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH.
Udoh FV, Lot TY, 1998. Effects of leaf and root extracts of Nauclea latifolia on the cardiovascular system. Fitoterapia, 69(2):141-146.
White F, 1983. The vegetation of Africa. Natural Resources Research, UNESCO.
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History
Published online: 22 November 2019
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