Botanical Name

Baphia nitida Lodd. [Fabaceae]

Specimen Type

Herbarium Sheet [Preserved Specimen]

Collector

Peter Thonning

Collection Date-s

1799 – 1803

Collection Location

Aquapim [Ghana]

Colonial Context

Danish Gold Coast of Africa 1663–1862

Annotations Determinations and Type Specimen Status

On sheet: HB. VAHLII Podaliria hæmatoxylum Thonning e Guinea

On label: Baphia nitida Afzel. J.L./1875

IDC microfiche foto: Isert et Thonning nr. 87 III 1-2

Remark: The data on the locality is taken from Hepper F.N. (1976) The West African Herbaria of Isert and Thonning.

Podalyria haematoxylon Thonn. SYNTYPE. Beskr. Guineiske Pl.: 202 (1827)

Ownership and Collection Management History

Thonning 48; ex herb. Martin Vahl

Historical Cultural and Traditional Knowledge

[Hepper (1976) pp. 84-85:] The wood has a light colour sometimes mixed with reddish veins; it is fairly fine but not to be obtained in large pieces and not fine enough for small work. After the tree has died the wood gets much darker red colour; it dies out and putrefies from inside outwards so that at last only the external part is left which is generally so ravaged by worms and putrescence that it is unserviceable for working. For dyeing on the contrary it is most excellent as it is exceedingly rich in colouring matter. It is much used by the natives for fetish ceremonies and amulets; for this purpose it is finely macerated with water on a stone. Th."

Source

Herbarium C NHMD

NHMD Herbarium C Catalogue Number

C10004409

C10004409

Copyright Owner

Natural History Museum of Denmark

Copyright License

CC BY 4.0 (images) and CC0 (metadata)