Tiliacora louisii (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Fibre

Tiliacora louisii Troupin

Protologue: Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat 19: 412 (1949).

Family: Menispermaceae

Synonyms

• Tiliacora polygyna Diels ex Mildbr. (1937).

Origin and geographic distribution

Tiliacora louisii is recorded from Guinea and Sierra Leone eastward to Togo, and in DR Congo.

Uses

In Sierra Leone the stems are used for tying house posts.

Production and international trade

Tiliacora louisii is of local importance only.

Botany

Woody liana with twining stem of several meters long and up to 1.5 cm in diameter, slightly grooved. Leaves alternate, simple; petiole thin, c. 1 cm long, glabrous; blade oblong-lanceolate, 6–13 cm × 2–5.5 cm, base rounded or acute, apex with acumen up to 2 cm long, glabrous, somewhat leathery, secondary veins in 6–8 pairs at nearly right angles to the midrib. Male inflorescence a false raceme of 1-flowered cymules 4–7 cm long, on leafless branches, bracteole 2–3 mm long, cymules on a peduncle 2–4 mm long; female inflorescence unknown. Flowers unisexual; male flower petiolate, sepals 9, 3 outer ones triangular, 1 mm long, thickened in the middle, 3 middle ones ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, 3 inner ones oblong-elliptical, boat-shaped, 8–10 mm × 4–5 mm, green with violet, petals 6, oblong, 1.5 mm × 1 mm, apex rounded, stamens 6, filaments 6–8 mm long, slightly connate at base, anthers c 1.5 mm long; female flower unknown. Fruit an obovoid drupe c. 15 mm × 5–7 mm, smooth, orange-red when mature; pulp fleshy, 3 mm thick; endocarp thin. Seeds 8–10 mm long.

Tiliacora comprises about 20 species of which 3 occur in tropical Asia and 17 in Africa; it is in need of a taxonomic revision.

Ecology

Tiliacora louisii occurs in lowland forest, often in swampy conditions.

Management

Stems of Tiliacora louisii are only collected from the wild.

Genetic resources

Information on Tiliacora louisii is inadequate to assess its genetic vulnerability.

Prospects

Tiliacora louisii is likely to remain of occasional local use only.

Major references

• 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.

• Keay, R.W.J. & Troupin, G., 1954. Menispermaceae. In: Keay, R.W.J. (Editor). Flora of West Tropical Africa. Volume 1, part 1. 2nd Edition. Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. pp. 66–77.

• Troupin, G., 1951. Menispermaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., Demaret, F., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Jurion, F., Lebrun, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 2. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 202–255.

Other references

• Jacques, F.M.B., 2009. Survey of the Menispermaceae endocarps. Adansonia, sér. 3, 31(1): 47–87.

• Troupin, G., 1949. Contribution a l’étude des Menispermacées africaines. I. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de l’Etat (Bruxelles) 19(4): 409–435.

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. Tiliacora louisii Troupin. [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 22 December 2024.

• See the Prota4U database.