Alstonia congensis

Invasive species Disclaimer

In view of the fact that some tree species are invasive, the world Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) has put in place a policy document on Invasive Alien Species, currently under draft available at Here.

For more information on this subject, please refer to
100 of the World's worst Invasive and Alien Species.




Species Index    A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Multiple Criteria Search


Abelmoschus moschatus
Acacia aneura
Acacia angustissima
Acacia aulacocarpa
Acacia auriculiformis
Acacia catechu
Acacia cincinnata
Acacia crassicarpa
Acacia elatior
Acacia erioloba
Acacia etbaica
Acacia ferruginea
Acacia glauca
Acacia holosericea
Acacia karroo*
Acacia koa
Acacia laeta
Acacia lahai
Acacia leptocarpa
Acacia leucophloea
Acacia mangium
Acacia mearnsii*
Acacia melanoxylon
Acacia mellifera
Acacia nilotica subsp nilotica
Acacia pachycarpa
Acacia pennatula
Acacia polyacantha ssp. polyacantha
Acacia saligna
Acacia senegal
Acacia seyal
Acacia sieberiana
Acacia tortilis
Acacia xanthophloea
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius
Adansonia digitata
Adenanthera pavonina
Aegle marmelos
Afzelia africana
Afzelia quanzensis
Agathis macrophylla
Agathis philippinensis
Ailanthus altissima
Ailanthus excelsa
Ailanthus triphysa
Albizia adianthifolia
Albizia amara
Albizia anthelmintica
Albizia chinensis
Albizia coriaria
Albizia ferruginea
Albizia gummifera
Albizia julibrissin
Albizia lebbeck
Albizia odoratissima
Albizia procera
Albizia saman
Albizia versicolor
Albizia zygia
Aleurites moluccana
Allanblackia floribunda
Allanblackia stuhlmannii
Allanblackia ulugurensis
Alnus acuminata
Alnus cordata
Alnus japonica
Alnus nepalensis
Alnus rubra
Alphitonia zizyphoides
Alstonia boonei
Alstonia congensis
Alstonia scholaris
Altingia excelsa
Anacardium occidentale
Andira inermis
Annona cherimola
Annona muricata
Annona reticulata
Annona senegalensis
Annona squamosa
Anogeissus latifolia
Anthocephalus cadamba
Antiaris toxicaria
Antidesma bunius
Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria cunninghamii
Arbutus unedo
Areca catechu
Arenga pinnata
Argania spinosa
Artemisia annua
Artocarpus altilis
Artocarpus camansi
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Artocarpus integer
Artocarpus lakoocha
Artocarpus mariannensis
Asimina triloba
Ateleia herbert-smithii
Aucomea klaineana
Averrhoa bilimbi
Averrhoa carambola
Azadirachta excelsa
Azadirachta indica
Azanza garckeana

Local names:
English (stool wood,pattern wood,alstonia), French (emien,alstonie), Igbo (egbu-ora)

Alstonia congensis is a tall forest tree reaching 30 m high; bole cylindrical, fluted at the base or columnar up to 7m. Bark rough with large solitary lenticels. Slash yellow-brown, thin abundant white latex.

Leaves simple, in whorls, obovate or spathulate, up to 12 cm long; apex rounded, often apiculate or sometimes emarginate; venation conspicuous.

Inflorescence glabrous and capitate.

Fruit a black dehiscent follicle, long and narrow, up to 40 cm long.

Seeds numerous, hairy. Alstonia congensis is considered endangered in its native range.

The specific epithet refers to Congo, Africa where specimens for scientific identification of the species were first collected.

Ecology

A. congensis is an evergreen rainforest tree occuring in S. Nigeria and extending to Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. A. congensis is usually associated with Elaeis guineensis, Kolobopetalum chevalieri, Dioscorea preusii, Cnestis hirsutus, Tabernaemontana crassa and Funtumia africana (Tabernaemontano-Elaeetum guineensis typicum).

Native range
Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria

A. congensis is an evergreen rainforest tree occuring in S. Nigeria and extending to Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. A. congensis is usually associated with Elaeis guineensis, Kolobopetalum chevalieri, Dioscorea preusii, Cnestis hirsutus, Tabernaemontana crassa and Funtumia africana (Tabernaemontano-Elaeetum guineensis typicum).

Direct seeding is a preferred propagation method. In a vegetative propagation study, stem cuttings rooted best (63.3%) with NAA + IBA at 100 ppm (Oni et al. 1993).

Medicine:  About 15 alkaloids have been isolated from the root bark, stem bark and leaves of this tree with similar uses as A. boonei as a diuretic and hypotensive.

Ornamental:  Grown as a woody ornamental tree in Kinshasa, Zaire.