Changes

:Chromosome number: 2''n'' = 40, 42

== Vernacular names ==

The heartwood of ''Cola lateritia'' is pinkish brown, sometimes figured; the sapwood is grey-white. The grain is mostly straight, texture coarse. The wood has a density of about 590 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content. It is tough, strong and flexible, bending without breaking. At 12% moisture content, the modulus of rupture is 74 N/mm², modulus of elasticity 10,100 N/mm², compression parallel to grain 51 N/mm², Janka side hardness 3980 N and Janka end hardness 4230 N. The wood is difficult to work and does not give a smooth finish. It splits easily, and is not durable.

Large deciduous tree up to 50 m tall; bole straight, up to 80 cm in diameter, usually with concave buttresses 1–2 m high and about 1.2 m wide at the base; outer bark grey to brown, smooth, sometimes slightly fissured or cracked, inner bark pink, fibrous; crown large and spreading; twigs and buds hairy. Leaves alternate, simple, entire or lobed; stipules triangular, up to 8 mm long, caducous; petiole up to 30 cm long, sparsely hairy, glabrescent; blade broadly ovate, up to 35(–45) cm × 30(–40) cm, base cordate, apex acute, hairy on both sides when young, glabrescent, becoming reddish at drying, basal veins 7–9, lateral veins in 4–7 pairs. Inflorescence a panicle up to 15 cm long in axils of upper leaves or on defoliated branches, reddish pubescent. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, regular, yellow, pink or red, scented; pedicel up to 15 mm long, jointed; calyx campanulate, 5(–7)-lobed, 7–15 mm long; corolla absent; male flowers with a shortly hairy androphore with 2 whorls of 7–10 stamens each; female and bisexual flowers with ovary generally consisting of 4 carpels. Fruit consisting of usually 4 indehiscent follicles, on robust, 7–10 cm long pedicel; follicles ovoid to globose, up to 6.5 cm long, with a short and slender beak, red or pink, wrinkled, glabrous, 4–8-seeded. Seeds ovoid, 2.5–3 cm × 1.5 cm, glabrous, surrounded by a mucilaginous pulp; aril c. 2 mm thick. Seedling with epigeal germination.

Within ''Cola lateritia'' 2 varieties are distinguished: var. ''lateritia'', with peduncle 5–15 mm long, distributed from southern Nigeria to Gabon, and var. ''maclaudii'' (A.Chev.) Brenan & Keay, with peduncle less than 3 mm long, distributed from Guinea to south-western Nigeria.

[[fr:{{PAGENAME}}]]