''Pericopsis angolensis'' is a deciduous small to medium-sized tree within the ''

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

'' family.

Description

''Pericopsis angolensis'' grows as a shrub or as a small to medium-sized tree capable of reaching 20 m tall, sometimes up to 27 m. The bark of younger trees is often smooth but becomes fissurred and flaky when mature; the bark is light grey to brown in color and the slash is yellowish and fibrous. Leaves are alternate and imparipinnately compound with stipules and petioles present. Leaflets are ovate to elliptical in shape, can reach up to 9.5 cm long and 5 cm wide, cuneate to rounded at the base and notched to rounded at the top. The inflorescence is often arranged in panicles.

Wood

Its woods is hard and heavy and the

heartwood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

is greenish brown and the sapwood yellow-grey.

Infraspecies

Source: * ''Pericopsis angolensis'' f. ''angolensis'' * ''Pericopsis angolensis'' f. ''brasseuriana'' (De Wild.) Brummitt * ''Pericopsis angolensis'' f. ''intermedia'' Yakovlev

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to Central and Tropical Africa, it is found in woodlands and wooded grassland. It is a common timber tree in the

Miombo Miombo woodland is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome (in the World Wide Fund for Nature scheme) located in central and southern tropical Africa. It includes three woodland savanna ecoregions (listed below) chara ...

ecoregion.

Chemistry

Methanol and chloroform extracts of the species resulted in the isolation of 3,9-dimethoxypterocarpan, a derivative of Isoflavanoids and 3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene, a stilbenol.

Uses

Its wood is used in construction and furniture making.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q11086945 Faboideae