Genus of legumes
Pentaclethra is a small genus of trees from the tropics. They are flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. They belong to the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae.
The name "Pentaclethra" is derived from Ancient Greek, "penta" meaning 'five', and "cleithro" meaning 'bolt', which alludes to the five imbricate sepals and five petals joined at the base, characteristic of this genus.
Species.
"Pentaclethra" is a small genus with three species. It is considered basal to the mimosoid clade. One species, "P. macroloba", occurs in the American tropics. This is the dominant tree in certain seasonal swamp forests in coastal areas of Atlantic Panama. The other two species occur in Africa.
"Pentaclethra," popularly known as "ugba ("raw oil bean seeds")" in Africa, has great nutritional value. Proximate analysis of raw oil bean seed reveals that it is composed of proteins (36–42%), lipids (43–47%) and carbohydrates (4–17%) The high content of the essential amino acids makes the seed a potential source of protein. Glutamic acid appears to be the largest amino acid contained in the seed and its fermented product. This could explain why pentaclethra (ugba) is often used as a flavoring agent for soups in southeastern Nigeria.
References.
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