ABSTRACT

Pterocarpus comprises about 60 species, 20 of them in Africa. The two disjunct populations of Pterocarpus mildbraedii in West-Central Africa and East Africa are sometimes considered as subspecies: subsp. mildbraedii and subsp. usambarensis (Verdc.) Polhill, respectively. They differ in the size of bracts and flowers. In the Benin culture, Pterocarpus mildbraedii is used as a marker for where Emotan (a deified female mystic) was buried and is offered sacrifices regularly. Pterocarpus mildbraedii is a species that is threatened and may go extinct soon hence the need for mass propagation of its seeds. It is important to note that this seed is difficult to germinate hence this study.