Milicia excelsa
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffde3e63a9322306556 |
| Scientific name | Milicia excelsa |
| Authority | (Welw.) C.C.Berg |
| First published in | Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 52: 227 (1982) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
In several parts of tropical West and Central Africa, different preparations of Milicia excelsa are traditional remedies that harness bark and latex. Among healers in Ghana and southeastern Nigeria, a bitter bark decoction is taken for stomach complaints, including dysentery and diarrhea, according to Burkill and Keay. In Côte d’Ivoire, healers prepare similar bark decoctions for gastric distress and fever (Burkill). Within Congo and the Central African Republic, locally collected latex is spread fresh onto wounds and skin sores as a protective poultice (FAO). In southern Nigeria, where the latex is widely recognized, it is also mixed with other ingredients or used in poultice form on infected wounds (Keay; Okwu & Okwu).
Traditional practitioners generally follow straightforward recipes, the most common being a short bark decoction. A mild tea is made by simmering 10–15 g of air‑dried bark pieces in 500 mL of water for 10 minutes, then straining; one cup is taken two to three times daily. In several Nigerian herbal shops, practitioners prepare stronger decoctions (about 25 g bark per liter of water boiled down to half) for acute bouts of diarrhea. For a 1:5 ethanol tincture, they macerate 100 g of chopped dry bark in 500 mL of 45–60% ethanol for 2–3 weeks, shaking daily, and then filter and bottle. Safety considerations are part of the tradition: amounts are kept modest, the tea is avoided during pregnancy, and latex is used only externally as a poultice (Burkill; Keay).
These uses align with known constituents of the species. The bark and heartwood are rich in flavonoids, which can provide astringent, anti‑inflammatory, and antioxidant effects that would help calm irritated gastrointestinal linings, while the exudate contains rubbery hydrocarbons and a range of phenolic compounds known for broad antimicrobial activity (Burkill; Oyen & Dounias). These well‑reported phytochemicals plausibly underlie the traditional actions against diarrhea and infected wounds.
Milicia excelsa remains a familiar timber and medicine tree across West and Central Africa, and modern work continues to support its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, with extracts and products appearing in small‑scale commerce and local practice (Oyen & Dounias).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Commercial material from Milicia excelsa is primarily sawn timber, with appearance-grade veneer, sliced and rotary cut, and sliced decorative plywood produced for higher-value markets.
Industrial and craft applications:
The dense, stable heartwood is used for heavy flooring, interior joinery, cabinetry, and high-end furniture; sliced veneer enables book-matching for surfaces and doors. It is also used for specialty turnery and selected sculptural or carved items where figure and workability are valued.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No documented non-medicinal food or beverage uses.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented dyes or inks derived from this species. Bark contains tannins, but there is no verified report of its use in leather tanning.
Wood and fiber:
Timber density is approximately 720–880 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content (mean basic density around 700–730 kg/m³). Drying from green to 12% is moderate to slow and may require careful schedules to avoid checking or splitting. The heartwood shows good dimensional stability after seasoning and is valued for its natural durability and resistance to dry-wood borers, reducing the need for preservative treatments in interior service classes.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented fragrance, cosmetic, or essential-oil uses.
Properties relevant to use:
The species combines high density, favorable stability, and durability with an attractive grain and color—physical properties that underpin its suitability for high-grade furniture, joinery, and veneer applications.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Milicia excelsa occurs across West–East–Southern Africa in rainforest and woodland formations and is listed in CITES Appendix II with specific controls. Harvesting and export are subject to national timber regulations and the CITES permit system, and typical checks include log marking, chain-of-custody documentation, and export permits to ensure legality.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Morus excelsa | Welw. | Trans. Linn. Soc. London 27: 69 (1869) |
| Maclura excelsa | Bureau | Prodr. 17: 231 (1873) |
| Chlorophora alba | A.Chev. | Mém. Soc. Bot. France 8: 209 (1912) |
| Chlorophora excelsa | (Welw.) Benth. & Hook.f. | Gen. Pl. 3: 363 (1880) |
| Chlorophora tenuifolia | Engl. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20: 139 (1894) |
| Milicia africana | Sim | Forest Fl. Port. E. Afr. : 97 (1909) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | african teak |
| Finnish | afrikaniroko |
| French | iroko |
| Hausa | loko |
| Japanese | ミリキア・エクスケルサ |
| Russian | Ироко |
| Sango | bangi |
| Chinese | 金柚木 |
| Chinese | 金油木 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
-
South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zimbabwe
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Burkina
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Togo
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Gabon
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Zaïre
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East Tropical Africa
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- India
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
-
Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000447908 |
| Tropicos | 21301645 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:910900-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2501387 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 864437 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 58664 |
| IUCN Red List | 33903 |
| IPNI | 910900-1 |
| iNaturalist | 132509 |
| GBIF | 3763589 |
| Freebase | /m/02xbqwv |
| EOL | 491542 |
| USDA GRIN | 400741 |
| Wikipedia | Milicia_excelsa |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids | |||||
| 4-(3,7-Dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl)-3,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde | 163005922 | Click to see | 274.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 |
| 4-[(2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl]-3,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde | 14163451 | Click to see | 274.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / 2-arylbenzofuran flavonoids | |||||
| 2-(3,7-Dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl)-5-(6-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl)benzene-1,3-diol | 162887431 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(=CCC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C2CC3=C(O2)C=C(C=C3)O)O)C)C | 380.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 |
| 2-[(2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl]-5-[(2S)-6-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl]benzene-1,3-diol | 163194307 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(=CCC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C2CC3=C(O2)C=C(C=C3)O)O)C)C | 380.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 |
| Albafuran B | 14237687 | Click to see | 378.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Chrysosplenol G | 5315858 | Click to see COC1=CC(=C2C(=C1)OC(=C(C2=O)OC)C3=CC(=C(C=C3OC)OC)O)O | 374.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(90)85237-A |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Stilbenes | |||||
| (e)-3,5,4'-Trihydroxy-4-geranylstilbene | 14163455 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(=CCC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C=CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)O)C)C | 364.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80718-0 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 |
| 2-(3,7-Dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl)-5-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]benzene-1,3-diol | 72727703 | Click to see | 364.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 |
| 2,4,3',5'-Tetrahydroxy-4'(3,7-di-methyl-2,6-octadienyl)-stilbene | 174858 | Click to see | 380.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9490003151 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.318 https://doi.org/10.1038/163564A0 https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9490003348 |
| 5-[(E)-2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-2-[(2E,8E)-10-[4-[(E)-2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]-3,8-dimethyldeca-2,8-dienyl]benzene-1,3-diol | 102470350 | Click to see | 650.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 |
| 5-[(E)-2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-2-[(E)-7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloct-2-enyl]benzene-1,3-diol | 10046427 | Click to see | 398.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.318 |
| 5-[2-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-2-(7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloct-2-enyl)benzene-1,3-diol | 85102635 | Click to see | 398.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.318 |
| 5-[2-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-2-[10-[4-[2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]-3,8-dimethyldeca-2,8-dienyl]benzene-1,3-diol | 162905607 | Click to see CC(=CCC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C=CC2=C(C=C(C=C2)O)O)O)CCCCC(=CCC3=C(C=C(C=C3O)C=CC4=C(C=C(C=C4)O)O)O)C | 650.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 |
| 6-[2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl]benzene-1,2,4-triol | 56613837 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C=CC2=C(C(=CC(=C2)O)O)O)O | 244.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 |
| Chlorophorin | 5281713 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(=CCC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C=CC2=C(C=C(C=C2)O)O)O)C)C | 380.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200334209 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(01)00325-7 https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9490003151 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 https://doi.org/10.1021/JF960627U https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9490003348 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.318 https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1600-0536.1996.TB02217.X https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80718-0 https://doi.org/10.1038/163564A0 |
| CID 73197 | 73197 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1O)O)C=CC2=CC(=CC(=C2)O)O | 244.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 |
| Trans-2,3',4,5'-tetrahydroxystilbene | 5281717 | Click to see | 244.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(89)80142-6 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(88)80149-3 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |