{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Speciesbox | genus = Ongokea | parent_authority = Pierre<ref name=POWO/> | species = gore | authority = (Hua) Pierre<ref name=POWO/> | synonyms = '''<small>Genus synonymy</small>''' {{Genus list | Schoepfianthus Engl. ex De Wild. }} '''<small>Species synonymy</small>''' {{Species list | Aptandra gore | Hua | Ongokea kamerunensis | Engl. | Ongokea klaineana | Pierre | Schoepfianthus zenkeri | Engl. ex De Wild. }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name="POWO"/><ref>{{cite POWO |id=608169-1 |title=''Ongokea gore'' |access-date=16 February 2024}}</ref> }}
'''''Ongokea''''' is a genus of flowering plants, with one species '''''Ongokea gore''''' (Boleko).<ref name=POWO/> In the APG IV system, the genus is placed in the family Olacaceae.<ref name=APGIV/><ref name="POWO">{{cite POWO |id=28243-1 |title=''Ongokea'' |access-date=16 February 2024}}</ref> Other sources place it in the segregate family Aptandraceae.<ref name=APweb/>
Its native range is Western Tropical Africa to Angola,<ref name="POWO" /> and is notable for the seeds of its edible fruits containing an industrially-useful oil that can undergo explosive polymerization reactions at elevated temperatures.<ref name=Protabase>{{cite book |title=Vegetable Oils: Tropical Resources of Africa 14|year=2007 |page=127|publisher=PROTA |isbn=9789057821912 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YW-ZbQnWQYsC&dq=boleko%20oil&pg=PA127}}</ref> This oil is curious for being rich in diacetylenic and hydroxy-diacetylenic fatty acids, primarily isanic and bolekic acid—that is, instead of a typical single-bonded fatty acid backbone, these acids contain multiple (thermally unstable) triple bonds.<ref name=lipidmaps>{{cite web|url=https://www.lipidmaps.org/resources/lipidweb/lipidweb_html/lipids/fa-eic/fa-acetylenic/index.htm|title=Fatty Acids: Acetylenic and Allenic - crepenynic - plants, animals, mosses - composition and biochemistry}}</ref>
== Description == ''Ongokea gore'' is a medium to large size tree that can reach 40 m tall with a diameter than reach 1.2 m and often has basal root swellings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis |last=Voorhoeve |first=A.G. |title=Liberian high forest trees : a systematic botanical study of the 75 most important or frequent high forest trees, with reference to numerous related species |degree=PhD |publisher=Wageningen University |url=https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/liberian-high-forest-trees-a-systematic-botanical-study-of-the-75}}</ref> It has a fairly open crown that is usually in the upper canopy of the forest. The bark is thick, dark brown, grey or black in color, it is commonly smooth but sometimes scaly and generally fissured and lenticellate.<ref name=":0" /> The slash is yellowish in color and scented.<ref name=":0" />
The leave are mid shade green in color and the petiole is 6-10 mm long.<ref name=":0" /> The leaflets are elliptic to ovate in shape, about 4-8 cm long and 2-5 cm wide with a base that is cuneate to rounded and an apex that is acuminate. The inflorescence is axillary and paniculate, the flowers are green in color. <ref name=":0" /> The fruit is sometimes called Isano by locals, it is drupe like, up to 4 cm in diameter and 1 seeded.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |title=Vegetable oils |date=2007 |publisher=PROTA |isbn=978-90-5782-192-9 |editor-last=Vossen |editor-first=H. A. M. van der |series=Plant resources of tropical Africa |location=Wageningen |pages=128}}</ref>
== Ecology == Oribatid mites is a dominant inhabitant within suspended soil that has accumulated on branches of the ''Ongokea gore'' tree in the rain forest of Gabon, other inhabitants include tectocepheus mites.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Arthropods of tropical forests: spatio-temporal dynamics and resource use in the canopy |date=2003 |publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press |isbn=978-0-521-82000-4 |editor-last=Basset |editor-first=Yves |edition=1. publ |location=Cambridge |chapter=Fauna of suspended soils in an ''Ongokea gore'' tree in Gabon}}</ref>
== Distribution == Occurs in West and Central Africa, in evergreen and semi-deciduous forest environments.<ref name=":0" />
== Chemistry == Oil obtained from the seeds of ''Ongokea gore'' contains the fatty acid group, dia-acetylenic and has isanic, isanolic, ketoisanic, hydroxy acetylenic, and bolekic acids.<ref name=":1" />
== Uses == The seed oil and stem bark extracts are sometimes used as part of a purgative decoction.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jerz |first1=Gerold |last2=Waibel |first2=Reiner |last3=Achenbach |first3=Hans |date=2005 |title=Cyclohexanoid protoflavanones from the stem-bark and roots of ''Ongokea gore''☆ |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0031942205001949 |journal=Phytochemistry |language=en |volume=66 |issue=14 |pages=1698–1706 |doi=10.1016/j.phytochem.2005.04.031|pmid=15922375 |bibcode=2005PChem..66.1698J |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=APGIV>{{Citation |mode=cs1 |last=Angiosperm Phylogeny Group |year=2016 |title=An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=181 |issue=1 |pages=1–20 |doi=10.1111/boj.12385 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name=APweb>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=P.F. |title=Aptandraceae |work=Angiosperm Phylogeny Website |url=http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/orders/santalalesweb2.htm#Aptandraceae |access-date=2021-07-18 }}</ref> }}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q10341007|from2=Q15259008}}
Category:Olacaceae Category:Monotypic Santalales genera Category:Taxa described in 1897
{{Santalales-stub}}