Asteranthe asterias

Botanical Description

Asteranthe asterias is an evergreen shrub or tree growing up to 8 metres tall. The bole can be 20cm in diameter[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food flavouring, medicine and source of wood. Although a common species within its range, it is very much restricted to forest and is not distributed throughout the extent of each forest where it occurs. It can be considered severely fragmented and is under continuing decline due to forest loss and disturbance. It almost qualifies for the classification of 'Vulnerable', but is presently classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 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. ].