Detarium senegalense

Tallow tree

Detarium senegalense, commonly known as the African Detarium, is a versatile tropical tree widely distributed across West and Central Africa. Renowned for its medicinal properties, various parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine to treat ailments such as skin infections, digestive issues, and inflammatory conditions.

  • Scientific name: Detarium senegalense
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • Native range: Africa

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically classified under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is a member of the Fabaceae family and is identified by the genus Detarium. Consequently, its full scientific designation is Detarium senegalense.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Fabales WCVP
Family Fabaceae WCVP
Genus Detarium WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Detarium senegalense, is referred to by various common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In Arabic, it is called كهبل سنغالي, while in Chinese, it is known as 甘豆. Local names used in Africa include Konkeehi in the Fula language (ff), Kpagriga in Dagbani (dag), and Ntamakunba in Bambara (bm).
Language Common Name Source
ar كهبل سنغالي Wikidata
zh 甘豆 Wikidata
ff Konkeehi Wikidata
dag Kpagriga Wikidata
bm Ntamakunba Wikidata
arz ديتار سنغالى Wikidata
zh-hans 甘豆 Wikidata
zh-cn 甘豆 Wikidata
de Ditach Wikidata
de Ditah Wikidata

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across several regions within West Tropical Africa. Its presence is notably recorded in the country of Benin. It can also be found growing throughout Burkina Faso. Additionally, the species inhabits parts of the Gambia and Ghana. Finally, its geographical range extends into Guinea-Bissau.

Region Area Source
West Tropical Africa Benin WCVP
West Tropical Africa Burkina WCVP
West Tropical Africa Gambia WCVP
West Tropical Africa Ghana WCVP
West Tropical Africa Guinea-Bissau WCVP
West Tropical Africa Guinea WCVP
West Tropical Africa Ivory Coast WCVP
West Tropical Africa Liberia WCVP
West Tropical Africa Mali WCVP
West Tropical Africa Nigeria WCVP

Chemicals

Detarium senegalense has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include galactose, glucose, xylose.

Total chemicals
3
Scientific sources
3

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
galactose 1 ★☆☆☆☆
glucose 1 ★☆☆☆☆
xylose 1 ★☆☆☆☆