Utilisations traditionnelles de Garcinia lucida et Garcinia kola (Clusiaceae) au Cameroun

Traditional utilisation of Garcinia lucida and Garcinia kola (Clusiaceae) in Cameroon. Garcinia lucida and Garcinia kola (Clusiaceae) are common well-known forest species among local po- pulation in Cameroon due to their various medicinal properties. A study of the traditional uses and the harvesting practices of these two species permits to draw together their medicinal, social and economic potentials in order to promote their utilisation and long-term exploitation. Traditional medicines and foods are the main important use categories. The seeds and the bark are the most commonly used parts of these plant species. The seeds are generally gathered under the crown of reproductive trees while the extraction of bark almost always involved ringbarking trees, the extraction of root involved logging of trees. The density of G. lucida varies from 17 to 314 stems per hectare. The average number of G. kola trees is 0.4 stems per hectare. The proportion of trees dying after debarking ranked between 5 and 43% according to the exploited stands of G. lucida. The proportion of debarked and logged trees for G. kola was estimated about 43%. The size-class distribution exhibited by these two species shows a selective exploitation of the largest trees. The quantity of G. lucidafresh bark harvested was estimated at 15 kg per day and per collector. These results indicate a high exploitation pressure using destructive harvesting techniques which could lead to the resource depletion in the future.