Centroplacus glaucinus (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Medicinal

Centroplacus glaucinus Pierre

Protologue: Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris, ser. 2, 1: 115 (1899).

Family: Pandaceae

Synonyms

• Microdesmis paniculata Pax (1899).

Origin and geographic distribution

Centroplacus glaucinus occurs in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Uses

In Gabon a leaf decoction is taken to treat schizophrenia.

Description

Dioecious small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall; bark surface dark brown, inner bark red; twigs slender, terete, glabrous. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules triangular, tiny; petiole up to 4 mm long, blackish when dry; blade oblong to elliptical-oblong, 7.5–17.5 cm × 2.5–6.5 cm, base obtuse, apex acuminate, distantly and shallowly toothed, glabrous, shiny above, pinnately veined with 10–14 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence an axillary panicle up to 7.5 cm long, on young shoots, short-hairy; bracts spoon-shaped, c. 1 mm long. Flowers unisexual, 5-merous; pedicel c. 1 mm long; sepals ovate, c. 1 mm long, obtuse, yellowish short-hairy; male flowers with petals broadly obovate or obovate-elliptical, c. 3 mm long, white, short-hairy, disk cup-shaped, stamens with short filaments; female flowers without petals, disk saucer-shaped, fleshy, 5-lobed, ovary superior, ovoid, c. 1 mm in diameter, 3-celled, densely short-hairy, styles 3, short. Fruit an oblong-ellipsoid, slightly 3-lobed capsule c. 7 mm in diameter, densely short-hairy, green turning pinkish orange, 3-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid, c. 3 mm long, usually smooth, black, shiny, aril orange-red.

Other botanical information

Centroplacus consists of one species only. It has formerly been placed in Flacourtiaceae and Euphorbiaceae, but is now considered to belong to Pandaceae, although recent molecular studies indicate that it may be better placed in a separate family Centroplacaceae.

Ecology

Centroplacus glaucinus occurs as an understorey tree in primary and secondary forest, usually at low altitudes.

Genetic resources

There are no signs that Centroplacus glaucinus is threatened by genetic erosion.

Prospects

Centroplacus glaucinus will remain of local importance only as a medicinal plant.

Major references

• Akendengué, B. & Louis, A.M., 1994. Medicinal plants used by the Masango people in Gabon. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 41: 193–200.

• Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A., 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (with Pandaceae). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 1620 pp.

Other references

• Brown, N.E., Hutchinson, J. & Prain, D., 1909–1913. Euphorbiaceae. In: Thiselton-Dyer, W.T. (Editor). Flora of tropical Africa. Volume 6(1). Lovell Reeve & Co., London, United Kingdom. pp. 441–1020.

Author(s)

• G.H. Schmelzer, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Schmelzer, G.H., 2008. Centroplacus glaucinus Pierre. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 18 December 2024.

• See the Prota4U database.