Morphological variability of the tallow tree, Pentadesma butyracea Sabine (Clusiaceae), in Benin

• DOI: 10.1007/s10722-012-9802-1
• Publication Date: 2012-03-01T20:26:15Z
• Authors: Eben-Ezer B. K. E...; Ingrid Parmentier; Armand Natta; Adam Ahanchédé; Olivier J. Hardy
• Keywords: Ecogeographical groups; 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; Ecologie; Evolution des espèces; 15. Life on land; Tallow tree; Morphological variability; 03 medical and health sciences; Génétique des plantes; Butter; Pentadesma butyracea; Aridity

The seeds of Pentadesma butyracea (butter tree) are exploited by rural populations in West Africa to produce butter used for consumption and as an ingredient in cosmetics and medicinal preparations. To improve our knowledge of this under-studied species, the morphological variation of the trees, fruits and seeds in 12 natural populations of Benin distributed over a gradient of climate aridity is described with 14 quantitative and 13 qualitative descriptors. Most traits, except seed shape categories, show significant differences among populations. Multivariate analyses distinguish two eco-geographical groups: trees located in the more humid southern part of the species distribution are taller and have larger fruits and seeds than trees located in the north. To disentangle the relative roles of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in shaping, further phenotypic studies should be performed in common garden experiments.