Berlinia phenacoa

Botanical Description

Berlinia phenacoa is a tree usually growing from 5 - 20 metres tall, though it can be as small as 2 metres and occasionally reaches 24 metres. The bole can be 20 -- 35cm in diameter. There are no documented reports, but the plant is very likely to be harvested from the wild for local use of its wood - the wood is also likely to be traded, in mixed consignments with other members of the genus. Berlinia phenacoa occurs across a wide area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo, and is known to occur within the protected areas network. However, the level of deforestation and natural habitat degradation in some of the areas in which the species occurs are high, indicating that botanical surveys and monitoring of the species is required. There are no estimates of population numbers for this species and population decline cannot be assessed with certainty, however population decline is not thought to be over the threshold for a threatened category. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].