Homalium letestui (PROTA)

The wood, most commonly known as ‘African homalium’ or ‘melefoufou’, is commonly used for posts in house building, and for joinery and boards. It is suitable for heavy construction, heavy flooring, interior trim, mine props, ship building, vehicle bodies, railway sleepers, furniture, sporting goods, toys, novelties, agricultural implements and carvings.

Bark sap is applied as enema and bark pulp rubbed in to treat oedema. Bark decoctions are taken in mixtures to treat orchitis and as tonic for women after childbirth. Root extracts are administered to treat malaria. The tree is decorative with its showy flowers, fruits and reddish young leaves, and is sometimes planted as ornamental.

Production and international trade

The wood is used locally and has no importance on the international timber market.

Properties

The heartwood is whitish yellow to pale brown, sometimes with darker streaks, and indistinctly demarcated from the yellowish sapwood. The grain is straight or interlocked, texture fine.

The wood is heavy, with a density of about 870 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, and hard. It should be air dried slowly and carefully because the rates of shrinkage are high, from green to oven dry 7.0–7.5% radial and 9.6–10.5% tangential. At 12% moisture content, the modulus of rupture is 160 N/mm², modulus of elasticity 18,230 N/mm², compression parallel to grain 70 N/mm², shear 9 N/mm², cleavage 21.5 N/mm and Chalais-Meudon side hardness 5.6.

The wood is easy to saw and work, but stellite-tipped saw teeth and tungsten-carbide tipped cutting tools are recommended because the wood is hard and contains silica. It can be planed and finished smoothly. The steam bending properties are satisfactory. The wood is rather durable, being fairly resistant to wood-boring insects and marine borers. It is resistant to impregnation with preservatives.

Ethanolic root extracts showed significant in-vivo antiplasmodial activity in tests with mice, comparable to that of chloroquine. Experiments with streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed antidiabetic activity comparable to that of the reference drug glibenclamide.

Description

Evergreen or deciduous, medium-sized tree up to 30(–35) m tall; bole branchless for up to 20 m, straight and cylindrical, up to 90 cm in diameter, thickened at base or with small buttresses; bark surface smooth, becoming scaly with small scales, yellowish grey to greyish brown or red-brown, inner bark granular, whitish with yellow-orange blotches; crown small, with short and horizontal branches; twigs glabrous.
Leaves alternate, simple; stipules lanceolate, small, early caducous; petiole 3–6(–8) mm long; blade usually oblong, (10–)15–30 cm × 6–12(–18) cm, cordate at base, short-acuminate at apex, margins wavy to obtusely toothed, leathery, glabrous, pinnately veined with up to 12 pairs of lateral veins.
Inflorescence a terminal panicle, consisting of several spikes up to 20 cm long, greyish hairy, many-flowered.
Flowers bisexual, regular, 5(–6)-merous, greenish white or cream-coloured; pedicel up to 1 mm long; calyx top-shaped with tube c. 2.5 mm long and lobes c. 2.5 mm long; petals free, spoon-shaped, c. 3 mm long but enlarging to 10–15 mm in fruit, short-hairy; stamens opposite the petals, alternating with hairy glands; ovary semi-inferior, densely hairy, 1-celled, style 4–5-branched, hairy.
Fruit a conical capsule c. 3 mm long, enclosed by the persistent and enlarging pinkish to reddish petals, hairy, dehiscing with 4–5 valves, few-seeded.
Seeds small.
Seedling with epigeal germination; hypocotyl c. 2 cm long, epicotyl 2–3 mm long, hairy; cotyledons leafy, rounded, c. 1 cm long; first leaves alternate, toothed.

Other botanical information

Homalium comprises about 200 species and occurs in all tropical regions. It is related to the African genera Bivinia, Calantica, Gerrardina and Trimeria. In tropical Africa approximately 60 species are found, Madagascar being richest with nearly 40 species. In tropical Asia Homalium has some importance as export timber, mainly from Papua New Guinea. The wood of several other Homalium spp. is used in mainland tropical Africa for similar purposes as that of Homalium letestui.

Homalium africanum

Homalium africanum (Hook.f.) Benth. is a shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 25(–35) m tall with bole up to 40 cm in diameter. It is widespread, occurring from Guinea east to DR Congo and Tanzania, and south to Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. The yellowish white to pale brown and hard wood is locally used for construction, joinery and yam stakes.

Homalium dentatum

Homalium dentatum (Harv.) Warb. is a medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 35 m tall. It occurs from Malawi and Zambia south to South Africa and Swaziland. The hard wood is yellowish white with brownish streaks and known as ‘brown ironwood’; it is used for similar purposes as that of Homalium letestui. Bark powder is taken to treat colic.

Homalium longistylum

Homalium longistylum Mast. (synonyms: Homalium aylmeri Hutch. & Dalziel, Homalium macropterum Gilg) is a medium-sized tree up to 30(–45) m tall with bole up to 50 cm in diameter. It is widespread, occurring from Guinea east to Kenya and Tanzania, and south to Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. The yellowish white and hard wood is locally used for posts in house building. The bark sap is applied to treat chest problems and migraine.

Homalium smythei

Homalium smythei Hutch. & Dalziel (synonym: Homalium aubrevillei Keay) is a shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall with bole up to 50 cm in diameter. It occurs in humid forest from Guinea to Côte d’Ivoire. The yellowish and hard wood is used for poles in house building, and for pestles and charcoal production. Bark ash mixed with palm oil is applied as anodyne.

In Madagascar the wood of several Homalium spp., known as ‘hazombato’, is particularly valued for heavy construction and railway sleepers because of its durability. It is heavy and hard, but unstable in service and somewhat brittle.

Homalium albiflorum

Homalium albiflorum (Boivin ex Tul.) O.Hoffm. is a shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall with bole up to 60 cm in diameter. It is widespread in Madagascar. Its wood is used for construction, and as firewood and for charcoal production. Bark decoctions are used to treat diabetes, venereal diseases and stomach complaints, and as diuretic.

Homalium planiflorum

Homalium planiflorum (Boivin ex Tul.) Baill. is a small tree up to 15(–30) m tall with bole up to 30 cm in diameter. It is widespread in northern and eastern Madagascar. Its wood is used for construction, joinery and charcoal production. The roots are used to treat gonorrhoea, wounds and impotence, and as tonic.

Homalium paniculatum

In Réunion and Mauritius the wood of Homalium paniculatum (Lam.) Benth. is considered excellent for construction and joinery. Homalium paniculatum is a shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall with bole up to 60 cm in diameter.

Anatomy

Wood-anatomical description (IAWA hardwood codes):

Growth rings: 2: growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent.
Vessels: 5: wood diffuse-porous; 13: simple perforation plates; 22: intervessel pits alternate; (23: shape of alternate pits polygonal); 24: intervessel pits minute (≤ 4 μm); 25: intervessel pits small (4–7 μm); 30: vessel-ray pits with distinct borders; similar to intervessel pits in size and shape throughout the ray cell; 42: mean tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100–200 μm; 47: 5–20 vessels per square millimetre.
Tracheids and fibres: 61: fibres with simple to minutely bordered pits; 65: septate fibres present; 66: non-septate fibres present; 70: fibres very thick-walled.
Axial parenchyma: 75: axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare; 78: axial parenchyma scanty paratracheal; 92: four (3–4) cells per parenchyma strand; 93: eight (5–8) cells per parenchyma strand; 94: over eight cells per parenchyma strand.
Rays: 97: ray width 1–3 cells; 98: larger rays commonly 4- to 10-seriate; 108: body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells; 115: 4–12 rays per mm; 116: ≥ 12 rays per mm.
Mineral inclusions: 136: prismatic crystals present; 137: prismatic crystals in upright and/or square ray cells.

(L. Awoyemi, P.E. Gasson & E.A. Wheeler)

Growth and development

Homalium letestui has been classified as a non-pioneer light demander. Seedlings have been found in full sunlight. They develop a whitish and long taproot with fine lateral roots. Initial growth is slow. The tree is often evergreen, but it can be deciduous for a short period in the dry season, developing striking flushes of red young leaves. In Sierra Leone trees flower in January–May, in Côte d’Ivoire in September–January and in Gabon in January–February. However, they are more conspicuous when they are fruiting. The fruits with their large wing-like petals are dispersed by wind. In regions with many elephants, the base of the bole is often damaged because they feed on the bark.

Ecology

Homalium letestui occurs in evergreen and semi-deciduous forest, also in gallery forest and secondary forest, up to 900 m altitude. It often occurs on rocky localities.

Propagation and planting

It is difficult to collect seeds because they are very small and there are only few in each small fruit, which is surrounded by the calyx and petals and easily spread by wind. Seeds start germinating rapidly, 1–2 weeks after sowing, and the germination rate is high, 75–80%.

Management

Homalium letestui is locally common, although it usually occurs scattered in the forest. In forests in western Cameroon, an average density of 1.6 tree with a bole diameter of more than 15 cm per ha has been recorded, with a mean wood volume of 2.2 m³/ha. In Gabon the average wood volume has been recorded to be only 0.13 m³/ha.

Genetic resources

There are no indications that Homalium letestui is liable to genetic erosion. It occurs widespread and is locally common, although it usually is found scattered in the forest at rather low densities. It is not included in the IUCN Red List like Homalium smythei, which is classified as vulnerable.

Prospects

The wood of Homalium letestui and other Homalium spp. is valued for local applications because of its strength and durability, and will remain of some importance. Virtually nothing is known about growth rates and silviculture, and much research is still needed to judge the possibilities for increased use. Homalium letestui is an interesting ornamental tree that deserves more attention, whereas the pharmacological properties seem interesting enough for more research towards drug development, particularly for the treatment of malaria and diabetes.

Major references

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Burkill, H.M., 1994. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 2, Families E–I. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 636 pp.

de Saint-Aubin, G., 1963. La forêt du Gabon. Publication No 21 du Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 208 pp.

Okokon, J.E., Antia, B.S. & Ita, B.N., 2007. Antidiabetic effects of Homalium letestui (Flacourtiaceae) in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Research Journal of Medicinal Plants 1(4): 134–138.

Okokon, J.E., Ita, B. & Udokpoh, A.E., 2006. Antiplasmodial activity of Homalium letestui. Phytotherapy Research 20(11): 949–951.

Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editor), 2006. 100 tropical African timber trees from Ghana: tree description and wood identification with notes on distribution, ecology, silviculture, ethnobotany and wood uses. 304 pp.

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Sleumer, H., 1973. Révision du genre Homalium Jacq. (Flacourtiaceae) en Afrique (y compris Madagascar et les Mascareignes). Bulletin du Jardin Botanique National de Belgique 43: 239–328.

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Other references

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Sources of illustration

Hul, S., 1995. Flacourtiaceae. Flore du Gabon. Volume 34. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 82 pp.

Wilks, C. & Issembé, Y., 2000. Les arbres de la Guinée Equatoriale: Guide pratique d’identification: région continentale. Projet CUREF, Bata, Guinée Equatoriale. 546 pp.

Author(s)

R.B. Jiofack Tafokou, Ecologic Museum of Cameroon, P.O. Box 8038, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Correct citation of this article

Jiofack Tafokou, R.B., 2012. Homalium letestui Pellegr. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 22 April 2026.

See the Prota4U database.