ISSN 2375-0979
African Journal of Wood Science and Forestry ISSN 2375-0979 Vol. 7 (8), pp. 001-011, August, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Woody plant species used in urban forestry in West Africa: Case study in Lomé, capital town of Togo
Radji Raoufou*, Kokou Kouami and Akpagana Koffi
Laboratory of Plant Biology and Ecology, BP 1515 Lomé - Togo.
Accepted 13 July, 2019
Abstract
Many studies have been conducted on the flora of Togo. However, none of them is devoted to the ornamental flora horticulture. This survey aims to establish an inventory of the woody plant species in urban forests of Lomé, the capital town of Togo. It covers the trees planted along the avenues, in the gardens, courtyards, shady trees and trees used as fences for houses or trees at the seaside. In total, 297 plant species belong to 141 genera and 48 families were recorded. They are dominated by 79% of dicotyledonous, 13% of monocotyledonous and 8% of gymnosperms. Families that are best represented in terms of species are those of the Euphorbiaceae, Arecaceae and Acanthaceae. Alien species represent 69% and African species represent 31% out of which 6% are from Togo. According to the current threatening of the natural habitat by human activities, African native plant species could be more useful for ornamental purposes than exotic plants.
Key words: Ornamental horticulture, plant flora, green areas, valorisation, native flora.