Campylospermum squamosum (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Medicinal
Fibre
Conservation status

Campylospermum squamosum (DC.) Farron

Protologue: Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat 35: 402 (1965).

Family: Ochnaceae

Chromosome number: 2n = 24

Synonyms

• Gomphia squamosa DC. (1811),
• Ouratea squamosa (DC.) Engl. (1876).

Origin and geographic distribution

Campylospermum squamosum occurs from Gambia to Côte d’Ivoire and in Nigeria. It possibly also occurs in Gabon and Congo.

Uses

The strong and very flexible young saplings are used in Liberia to bind the drum-head onto hollow log drums. In Liberia the bark or pounded leaves are used in poultices to relieve bodypain.

Production and international trade

Campylospermum squamosum is only used locally.

Properties

No information is available on properties of the fibre or the medicinal properties ofCampylospermum squamosum.

Description

Straggling shrub or small tree. Leaves alternate, simple, variable in shape; stipules axillary, triangular, partially merged together, 1–1.5 mm long, awned, persistent; blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 18 cm × 6 cm, base tapering, apex rounded to acute, margin slightly toothed, midvein and lateral veins prominent above. Inflorescence a branched raceme with several, persistent basal bracts; branches thin and sometimes very long. Flowers solitary or in bunches, bisexual, glabrous; sepals 5, imbricate, persistent on fruit; petals 5, bright yellow; stamens 10; ovary deeply 5-lobed, 5-locular. Fruit composed of 5 drupelets.

Campylospermum comprises about 35 species and is in need of a taxonomic revision.

Ecology

Campylospermum squamosum occurs from sea-level up to 1400 m altitude, on brook and river sides, in gallery forest, coastal scrub, in degraded forest on slopes with Tylophora sylvatica Decne., Rhaphiostylis beninensis (Hook.f. ex Planch.) Planch. ex Benth. and Microdesmis keayana J.Léonard, and in secondary forest with Vernonia conferta Benth. and Dalbergia afzeliana G.Don.

Management

Campylospermum squamosum is only collected from the wild.

Genetic resources

Information on Campylospermum squamosum is too inadequate to assess its genetic vulnerability.

Prospects

Campylospermum squamosum is likely to remain of occasional local use only.

Major references

• Aubréville, A., 1959. La flore forestière de la Côte d’Ivoire. Deuxième édition révisée. Tome deuxième. Publication No 9. Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 340 pp.

• Burkill, H.M., 1997. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 4, Families M–R. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 969 pp.

• Farron, C., 1968. Contribution à la taxonomie des Ouratéeae (Ochnaceae). Candollea 23: 177 228.

• Keay, R.W.J., 1954. Ochnaceae. In: Keay, R.W.J. (Editor). Flora of West Tropical Africa. Volume 1, part 1. 2nd Edition. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. pp. 221–232.

Other references

• Fedorov, A.A., 1974. Chromosome numbers of flowering plants. Reprint. Otto Koeltz Science Publishers, Koenigstein, Germany. 926 pp.

• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.

Author(s)

• L.P.A. Oyen, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Oyen, L.P.A., 2010. Campylospermum squamosum (DC.) Farron. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Brink, M. & Achigan-Dako, E.G. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>.

Accessed 31 March 2025.

• See the Prota4U database.