Pierreodendron kerstingii

Pierreodendron kerstingii is a species of tree in the family Simaroubaceae. It is endemic to West Africa and found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.^[1] It is sometimes considered synonym of Pierreodendron africanum, which would then be a widespread species distributed south to Angola and east to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[3]

Pierreodendron kerstingii
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Simaroubaceae
Genus:	Pierreodendron
Species:	P. kerstingii
Binomial name
Pierreodendron kerstingii (Engl.) Little
Synonyms[2]
Simarubopisis kerstingii Engl. Mannia kerstingii (Engl.) Harms Mannia simarubopsis Pellegr.

Description and uses

It is a large forest tree growing to 24 m (80 ft) tall. The flowers are red and ripe fruits are yellow.^[2] The bark is used as insecticide and rat poison, and the extract has anti-tumor properties.^[3]

Habitat and conservation

Pierreodendron kerstingii occurs in heavily exploited, semi-deciduous forests. It is an uncommon species threatened by habitat loss.^[1]