Parkia biglobosa
| Parkia biglobosa | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Parkia |
| Species: | P. biglobosa |
| Binomial name | |
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Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G.Don |
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Parkia biglobosa, also known as the African locust bean or néré, is a perennial deciduous tree of the Fabaceae family. It is found in a wide range of environments in Africa and is primarily grown for its pods that contain both a sweet pulp and valuable seeds. Where the tree is grown, the crushing and fermenting of these seeds constitutes an important economic activity. Various parts of the locust bean tree are used for medicinal purposes. As a standing tree, locust bean may have a positive effect on the yield of other nearby crops.
Parkia biglobosa is a dicotyledonous angiosperm belonging the family Fabaceae – Mimosoideae. It is categorized under spermatophytes, vascular plants. It is a deciduous perennial that grows to between 7 and 20 metres high, in some cases up to 30 metres. The tree is a fire-resistant heliophyte characterized by a thick dark gray-brown bark. The pods of the tree, commonly referred to as locust beans, are pink in the beginning and turn dark brown when fully mature. They are 30-40 centimetres long on average, with some reaching lengths of about 45 centimetres. Each pod can contain up to 30 seeds.
In West Africa the bark, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat a wide diversity of complaints, both internally and externally, sometimes in combination with other medicinal plants. The bark is most important for medicinal uses, followed by the leaves. Medicinal applications include the treatment of parasitic infections, circulatory system disorders, such as arterial hypertension, and disorders of the respiratory system, digestive system and skin. In veterinary medicine, a root decoction is used to treat coccidiosis in poultry. Green pods are crushed and added to rivers to kill fish. The tree locust bean (also known as "arbre à farine, fern leaf, monkey cutlass tree, two ball nitta-tree, nété and néré") was first written of by Michael Adamson in 1757’s West Africa. The use of fermented locust beans in Africa, however, dates as far back as the 14th century.
Geographically, Parkia biglobosa can be found in a belt stretching from the Atlantic coast in Senegal to southern Sudan and northern Uganda. The tree currently exists within a wide range of natural communities but is most abundant in anthropic communities – places where cultivation is semi-permanent.
Annual production of seeds in northern Nigeria is estimated at around 200 000t. While the products of the tree are not common in international trade, they form an important part of local and regional trade in West Africa. The seeds are especially prized, and much trade occurs locally in the Sahel region where they are transferred between borders.
There are two types of seed within each pod – reddish-dark and dark (black). The ratio between these seeds varies from 1:20 to 1:5, with darker seeds outnumbering lighter seeds. Reddish-dark seeds have a thinner coat and they germinate earlier than black seeds that haven’t first been acid treated. “Dark seeds have a harder seed coat and require various pretreatments to ensure good germination rates.”
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Wikipedia