Wenge  (Millettia laurentii)

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1).

A medium-sized tree, Millettia laurentii is mostly known for its attractive wood, which is dark brown, with black and white streaks, and is very strong and dense (2). The leaves are composed of several pairs of pointed, oblong leaflets, which branch from a central stem, with a single leaflet growing from the tip. During flowering this species produces an abundance of beautiful rose-pink flowers, borne in clusters on small stalks that branch from a larger central stem. After pollination, the tree produces numerous tough-skinned pods containing a small number of seeds (3).

Millettia laurentii is found in the Congo Basin, where it occurs in Cameroon, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (1).

Millettia laurentii a component of semi-deciduous, sometimes swampy, forest (1).

Species of the genus Millettia generally possess poisonous chemicals in their tissues (3), and while Millettia laurentii is not considered to be particularly toxic (4), the wood from this species is highly resistant to fungal and insect attack (3).

The major threat to Millettia laurentii is its overexploitation for its wood, which is occurring throughout much of its range (1). There is currently very little regulation to prevent the expansion of the logging industry throughout the Congo Basin, hence endangered trees, such as Millettia laurentii, are greatly at risk (1) (5).

Although the deforestation of the Congo Basin is extensive and ongoing, numerous conservation organisations are working to preserve the region’s forests (5) (6) (7). Hopefully, their efforts should help to ensure the survival of this endangered tree.

To find out more about conservation in the Congo Basin visit:

• WWF:
  www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/congo
• Conservation International:
  www.conservation.org/EXPLORE/PRIORITY_AREAS/WILDERNESS/Pages/congobasin.aspx
• World Conservation Society – Congo:
  www.wcs-congo.org