Moringa ovalifolia

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Moringa ovalifolia
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Moringaceae
Genus: Moringa
Species:
M. ovalifolia
Binomial name
Moringa ovalifolia
Synonyms

Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn.
Moringa ovalifoliolataDinter & A.Berger

Moringa ovalifolia is a succulent flowering tree of the family Moringaceae [1] native to Namibia and southwestern Angola. [2]

It is a succulent-stemmed tree found in desert and semi-desert areas. The plant grows vertically, and can reach 7 m (23 ft) in height. It is deciduous and has a main branch up to 1 meter in diameter. [2]

German botanists Kurt Dinter and Alwin Berger described the species in 1914.

Moringa ovalifolia has been classified in a section Donaldsoniana within the genus, however genetic analysis shows that this group is not a natural group (paraphyletic). [3]

Moringa ovalifolia occurs on rocky escarpment passes leading to the Namib Desert. This species is the dominant component of the woodland known as the Fairy Tale Forest in Etosha National Park. [2]

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References

  1. "Moringa ovalifolia Dinter & A.Berger". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Moringa ovalifolia | PlantZAfrica.com". www.plantzafrica.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  3. Olson, Mark E. (2002). "Combining Data from DNA Sequences and Morphology for a Phylogeny of Moringaceae (Brassicales)" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 27 (1): 55–73. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-27.1.55 (inactive 31 January 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)