Pachyelasma Explained

Pachyelasma is a genus of flowering plants in the legume subfamily Caesalpinioideae.^[1] It contains only one species, Pachyelasmia tessmannii, which is native to central Africa.

Description

Pachyelasma tessmannii is an evergreen tree growing up to tall with a straight, cylindrical trunk up to in diameter. The flowers are red and the fruits are four-angled black pods that may be up to in length.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Pachyelasma tessmannii can be found in the wet tropical regions of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria.

Uses

The fruit is sometimes used by fishermen in remote areas of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo for poison fishing.^[3] Some cocoa farmers in Cameroon mix the bark with other plant materials and extracts to create a natural pesticide^[4]

Notes and References

1. The Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG). . 2017 . A new subfamily classification of the Leguminosae based on a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny . . 66 . 1 . 44–77 . 10.12705/661.3. free . 10568/90658 . free .
2. Robin . Doucet . Jean-Loius . Doucet . Phillipe . Lejeune . Cécile . Verheyen . Tom . De Mil . Patrick . Martin . Paul . Lagoute . Benoit . Jourez . 2021 . Wood description and timber use investigation of Pachyelasma tessmannii (Harms) Harms . European Journal of Wood and Wood Products . 80 . 199–212 . 10.1007/s00107-021-01758-3.
3. H. D. . Neuwinger . 2004 . Plants used for poison fishing in tropical Africa . . . 44 . 4 . 417–430 . 10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.05.014. 15302524 . 2004Txcn...44..417N .
4. O. . Coulibaly . D. . Mbila . D. J. . Sonwa . Akin . Adesina . J. . Bakala . 2002 . Responding to economic crisis in sub Saharan Africa: New farmer-developed pest management strategies in cocoa-based plantations in Southern Cameroon . Integrated Pest Management Reviews . Kluwer Academic Publishers . 7 . 3 . 165–172 . 10.1023/b:ipmr.0000027500.24459.fe. 83664935 .