- Source: Cussonia bancoensis
Cussonia bancoensis, commonly called the aky tree, is a montane rainforest tree of the ginsing, or ivy family (Araliaceae) Believed to be originally endemic to Ghana, but now feral throughout tropical West Africa It is up to 131 feet (forty meters) in height, with few branches (mostly vertical reiterations) each topped with a rosette of large five-pointed palmate leaves. The flowers are malodorous, and pollinated by flies. The wood is rich in potasium, and the ash is favored in making soap.