Lannea A.Rich. is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Anacardiaceae (subfamily Spondiadoideae, order Sapindales), first described by Achille Richard in 1832 in Guillemin and Perrottet's Florae Senegambiae Tentamen. The genus currently comprises approximately 36–39 accepted species (with around 60 total taxa tracked in GBIF), distributed primarily across tropical Africa and extending into South and Southeast Asia.
Members of Lannea are predominantly deciduous trees and shrubs. Habit varies considerably across the genus: some species, such as L. coromandelica, grow into large canopy trees 20–30 metres tall, while others like L. edulis are low shrubs sprouting from underground rootstocks. A characteristic feature of the genus is flowering when leafless or nearly so. Many species are dioecious, bearing separate male and female plants. Bark is often grey to brown, sometimes scaly, with distinctively coloured fibrous inner tissue. Fruits are small drupes or berries, frequently turning red, purple, or black at maturity. Several species exude a resinous or gummy sap when the bark is cut or damaged — L. coromandelica, for instance, produces a glassy-white hardening gum that is both ecologically notable and commercially exploited.
The genus is placed within Anacardiaceae and shares the family's characteristic resinous chemistry. Synonyms absorbed into Lannea include Odina Roxb. (1832), Lanneoma Del. (1843), Calesiam Adans. (1763), and Scassellatia Chiov. (1932).
Across its range, Lannea species are valued for timber, food, traditional medicine, and fibre. The fruits of multiple species — including L. microcarpa ("African grapes"), L. acida, and L. edulis — are eaten fresh by local communities. Bark and gum extracts are widely used in ethnomedicine, and several species yield dyes, cordage fibre, and industrial gums. L. coromandelica is particularly well-known in Asia for its ease of vegetative propagation and use as a living fence and roadside tree.
Distribution
Lannea is distributed across the tropics, with its centre of diversity in sub-Saharan Africa and a secondary extension into South and Southeast Asia. In Africa the genus spans the continent from Senegal and Mauritania in the west to Somalia and Djibouti in the east, and south through the Congo Basin, East Africa, and into KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is particularly well represented in the West African Sudan and Guinea savannas (e.g. L. microcarpa, L. acida, L. nigritana), as well as in East and Southern Africa (e.g. L. edulis, L. schweinfurthii, L. discolor). The Arabian Peninsula is reached via Yemen and Oman, and the island of Socotra hosts at least one recorded taxon.
In Asia, L. coromandelica and related species are native from Pakistan and India (including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Assam) through Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and east through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and into southern China (South-Central and Southeast provinces). The genus thus occupies a broad pantropical belt at elevations typically up to 1,800 m, with L. coromandelica recorded from lowland coastal areas up to hill forest.
Taxonomy
Lannea A.Rich. was formally published in 1832 by Achille Richard in Guillemin and Perrottet's Florae Senegambiae Tentamen (1: 153, T. 42). It belongs to the family Anacardiaceae, subfamily Spondiadoideae, order Sapindales, within the eudicot clade Rosids.
Several historically recognised genera are now treated as synonyms. Odina Roxb. (1832) was described from the Indian subcontinent and long used for L. coromandelica; Lanneoma Del. (1843), Calesiam Adans. (1763), and Scassellatia Chiov. (1932) have similarly been subsumed. The Wikipedia genus article reports 36 accepted species as of July 2020, while the GBIF backbone records approximately 60 total taxa (including synonyms and infraspecific entities). Lannea edulis carries the basionym (Sond.) Engl., indicating the species was originally described under another genus and later transferred.
Ecology
Lannea species occupy a range of tropical and subtropical habitats. In West Africa, species such as L. microcarpa and L. acida are characteristic of Guinea and Sudan savanna vegetation, often growing at forest-savanna transition zones. In Asia, L. coromandelica is found in lowland and hill forests at 100–1,800 m elevation, including seasonally dry forests of India and Myanmar.
Most species are deciduous, dropping their leaves during the dry season; several species flower while leafless, an adaptation common in seasonally dry environments. Dioecism (separate sexes on different plants) is documented in L. coromandelica and L. microcarpa. L. coromandelica is notably fire-resistant, a trait consistent with savanna and dry-forest ecology. The genus produces phenolic and flavonoid compounds: L. microcarpa leaves contain polyphenols, vitexin, isovitexin, and gallic acid, while L. acida bark yields flavonoids including 7-methyltectorigenin. These compounds likely play roles in herbivore deterrence and pathogen resistance.
Uses
Across its range, Lannea has been extensively used by local communities for food, medicine, fibre, dyes, and industrial purposes.
Food: The edible fruits of multiple species are consumed fresh — L. microcarpa ("African grapes") is a well-known snack fruit in West Africa, and L. acida and L. edulis fruits are similarly eaten. L. coromandelica yields edible young leaves and sprouts (raw or cooked), ripe fruits, and a gum used in confectionery; powdered bark is also employed as a flavouring.
Traditional medicine: L. coromandelica has a long history as a herbal remedy in South Asia. Bark poultices are applied for swellings, sprains, bruises, and body pain; bark juice is used as a lotion for ulcers; and the bark is recognised as an astringent and stimulant in Ayurvedic practice. The gum treats asthma and is used to support lactation. L. edulis is used in Zambia for schistosomiasis, gonorrhea, and diarrhea, and in South Africa for angina pectoris. L. microcarpa leaf extracts treat wound healing, conjunctivitis, gingivitis, and stomatitis; root bark decoctions address stomach and skin conditions.
Fibre and dye: Bark of L. coromandelica yields coarse cordage fibre. L. microcarpa bark exudate is used as a traditional dye, producing red and brown colours for handwoven fabrics including basilan fini cloth. Parts of L. acida are also used in dyeing.
Industrial and agroforestry uses: The resinous "Jingan gum" of L. coromandelica is used commercially for calico printing, paper sizing, whitewashing, and net preservation; bark tannins are used to impregnate fishnets. Stem bark and gum also serve as a mosquito repellent. The wood is used for spear shafts, wheel-spokes, oil presses, and grain pounders, as well as fuel. L. coromandelica is widely planted as a living fence, hedging tree, and roadside tree owing to its ease of propagation.
Cultivation
Lannea coromandelica is the most widely cultivated member of the genus and serves as the primary reference for horticultural requirements. It thrives in warm tropical conditions with optimal temperatures of 32–40°C, tolerating a broad range from 8°C to 47°C, but is killed by frost below approximately −2.5°C. Annual rainfall of 1,200–2,000 mm is preferred, though the species tolerates a wider range, reflecting its occurrence in both moist and seasonally dry forests. It grows best in full sun with moderate soil fertility, preferring a pH of 5–6.5 but tolerating 4.5–8.
The species is grown as a hedging and roadside tree and is valued in agroforestry systems as a living fence due to its exceptional ease of establishment from cuttings. In West Africa, species such as L. microcarpa are used in on-farm tree management within parkland agroforestry systems, valued for the shade, fruit, and other products they provide.
Propagation
Lannea coromandelica is straightforwardly propagated by cuttings: even large branches root reliably, making it one of the easier tropical trees to establish vegetatively. This trait underpins its widespread use as a living fence, as cuttings can be planted directly in the field.
Seed propagation is possible but complicated by short seed viability; seeds should be sown immediately upon collection. As a dioecious species, seed production requires both male and female plants to be present.
Conservation
Lannea coromandelica is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (2021), with a wide native range across South and Southeast Asia and no identified significant threats. Lannea microcarpa is similarly listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Genus-level conservation data are not available, and assessments vary by species; many African Lannea species have not been formally evaluated by the IUCN.
