Table 2 Restricted and threatened plants in Benin, ranked according to their citation frequency
From: Evidence of a link between taboos and sacrifices and resource scarcity of ritual plants
Restricted species | Citation frequency (% of informants) | Official threat status | Perceived scarcity (% of informants) | Habitat | Habit | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) | 20 | Â | 23 | Primary forest to settlements | Large tree | Pantropical |
African border tree (Newbouldia laevis) | 18 | Â | 0 | Secondary forest to settlements | Small tree | Pantropical |
Senegal prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides) | 16 | VUb | 46 | Savanna and dry forest | Small tree | West Africa |
Iroko treea (Milicia excelsa) | 14 | ENb/ VUc | 15 | Primary to secondary deciduous forest | Large tree | West, Central, and East Africa |
Heart-fruit (Hymenocardia acida) | 12 | Â | 0 | Savanna to deciduous woodland | Shrub | Tropical Africa |
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) | 12 | Â | 0 | Cultivated fields, settlements | Vine | Pantropical |
Yellow mombin (Spondias mombin) | 10 | Â | 0 | Secondary deciduous forest | Medium-sized tree | Pantropical |
Groundnut tree (Ricinodendron heudelotii) | 10 | Â | 0 | Secondary humid forest to fallows | Medium-sized tree | West, Central and East Africa |
Nicker tree (Caesalpinia bonduc) | 0 | EWb | 53 | Disturbed sites | Shrub | Pantropical |
African locust tree (Parkia biglobosa) | 0 | Â | 46 | Savanna to cultivated fields | Small tree | West and Central Africa |
Wild banana (Ensete livingstonianum) | 0 | CRb | 30 | Savanna | Large herb | West Africa |
Yellow plum (Ximenia americana) | 0 | Â | 30 | Savanna to dry forests | Small tree | Pantropical |