Ordealtree

Ordealtree, Erythrophleum ivorense, is a tall legume in the family Fabaceae, growing at a medium pace into a tree that can reach about 30 metres in height. It is native to the moist tropical forests and wooded landscapes of West and Central Africa, with a range spanning Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zaire. Across this range it occupies full-sun sites on light sandy, medium, and heavy clay soils that stay consistently moist. It is not regarded as drought resistant and is associated with hardiness zones 10 through 12. The tree is perhaps most often noted for its inner bark, which is recorded as an edible part and is used to make a drink. Beyond that it is a multi-purpose species: its wood serves as lumber, its bark supplies tannin, the dried material can be used as a fire starter, and, like many legumes, it contributes to soil fertility as a nitrogen fixer. This mix of products makes it valuable both within its native ecosystems and to the communities that depend on the surrounding forest. The plant is not documented here as medicinal, so it is best treated primarily as a timber, tannin, and food-resource species rather than a remedy. As with any wild plant, unfamiliar parts should not be consumed or used unless they have been reliably identified, and any new preparation should be approached with caution.