Pink ivory | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rhamnaceae |
Genus: | Phyllogeiton |
Species: | P. zeyheri |
Binomial name | |
Phyllogeiton zeyheri | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Pink ivory (Phyllogeiton zeyheri, syn. Berchemia zeyheri), also called purple ivory, red ivory, umnini or umgoloti, is an African hardwood used to make a variety of products (for example: billiard cues and knife handles). [2] The pink ivory tree grows predominantly in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Northern Botswana and South Africa. [1] The tree is protected and sustainably maintained in South Africa, only felled by very limited permit. [3] [4] The wood is extremely hard, with a density of 990 g/dm3.
Pink ivory was the royal tree of the Zulu people [5] and only members of the royal family were allowed to possess it until the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Before the Anglo-Zulu War, the Zulu king (and prior to 1818, Zulu chiefs) would possess a pink ivory Knobkerrie (a stick with a knob at one end) and also wear jewelry made from precious pink ivory wood. According to rumor, non-royals who possessed the wood would summarily be put to death. After Zululand fell to the British and was separated into 13 separate "kinglets" in 1883, all vying to retake control of what was once theirs precedent to the onset of apartheid, the pink ivory wood became much less important a sign of control than genuine control could be.
The pink ivory tree produces a yellow, brownish, reddish, or purplish drupe fruit that is delicious to taste. Other parts of the tree have been used traditionally as remedies and medicines.
Pink ivory is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world, along with African blackwood, sandalwood, agarwood and ebony. [6] [7]
Curtisia dentata is a flowering tree from Southern Africa. It is the sole species in genus Curtisia, which was originally classed as a type of "dogwood" (Cornaceae), but is now placed in its own unique family Curtisiaceae.
Dalbergia melanoxylon in french Granadille d'Afrique is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to seasonally dry regions of Africa from Senegal east to Eritrea, to southern regions of Tanzania to Mozambique and south to the north-eastern parts of South Africa. The tree is an important timber species in its native areas; it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, sculptures vinyago in Swahili language and fine furnitures. Populations and genomic resources for genetic biodiversity maintenance in parts of its native range are threatened by overharvesting due to poor or absent conservation planning and by the species' low germination rates.
Ocotea bullata, is a species of flowering tree native to South Africa. It produces very fine and valuable timber which was formerly much sought after to make furniture. Due to over-exploitation it is now a protected species. Other names for it are Cape Walnut, Cape laurel, and laurel wood. The name "stinkwood" comes from a strong smell that is released when it is fresh felled.
Afrocarpus falcatus is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae. It is native to the montane forests of southern Africa, where it is distributed in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini. Common names include common yellowwood, bastard yellowwood, outeniqua yellowwood, African pine tree, weeping yew, Afrikaans: outeniekwageelhout, kalander, Sotho: mogôbagôba, Xhosa: umkhoba and Zulu: umsonti. It is widespread, in some areas abundant, and not considered threatened, but it is a protected tree in South Africa. It is grown as an ornamental tree, especially in South Africa, and occasionally abroad.
Englerophytum magalismontanum, commonly known as stamvrug, is an evergreen tree that mostly grows in rocky places. It has an extensive range, from northern KwaZulu-Natal northwards along the east coast and into the southern African interior, and northwards into tropical Africa.
Widdringtonia wallichii, Clanwilliam cedar or Clanwilliam cypress, previously Widdringtonia cedarbergensis is a species of Widdringtonia native to South Africa, where it is endemic to the Cederberg Mountains northeast of Cape Town in Western Cape Province. It is threatened by habitat loss and protected in South Africa under the National Forest Act of 1998.
Warburgia salutaris is a species of tree in the family Canellaceae. It is found in eastern and southern African locations e.g. Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a popular medicinal plant and is overharvested in the wild, another reason for its endangerment. The Pepper-bark tree is a protected tree in South Africa. Various projects are investigating methods of propagation under controlled conditions with subsequent planting in the wild.
Mimusops caffra is a species of tree in family Sapotaceae. This tree is found in coastal dune vegetation in Southern Africa from the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu-Natal to southern Mozambique.
Podalyria calyptrata is a small, resilient, fast-growing tree of the Fabaceae (legume) family. It has velvety silver leaves, bears masses of bright-pink, sweetly scented flowers, and is indigenous to the Western Cape, South Africa.
Apodytes dimidiata is a bushy tree with white flowers bearing a fragrance reminiscent of fresh coconut, and small black and red fruits. It is usually about 5 m tall, and it is indigenous to Southern Africa. The taxonomical family placement for this and other Apodytes was uncertain; it is now placed in the Metteniusaceae. Its English common name is in reference to the timber which is similar in appearance to that of the European pear tree of the northern hemisphere.
Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus, commonly called candlewood, cherrywood or kershout, is a medium-sized evergreen tree, indigenous to South Africa.
Vepris lanceolata is a large, evergreen tree native to southern and eastern Africa. It ranges from southeastern Kenya through Tanzania and Mozambique to South Africa, where it grows in coastal evergreen thicket or on loose sandy soil near beaches from sea level to 30 meters elevation.
Crateva kirkii, commonly known as the three-finger bush, is a small deciduous tree belonging to the Capparaceae or caper family. It ranges through eastern and southern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Cordyla africana is a tall, deciduous African tree with a large, spreading, much-branched crown, and a bole of some 2.2 m dbh. It is a member of the large leguminous family Fabaceae, and is known as wild mango in some areas. It is found up to 1000m elevation in large river valleys, in miombo woodland and coastal swampy evergreen forest, mostly on sandy soils, along the eastern parts of central and southern Africa. It occurs in South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces, the Kruger National Park, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania. 'Cordyla' is from the Greek word 'kordyle', meaning a 'club' and is a reference to the club-shaped fruit and stalk.
Polygala myrtifolia, the myrtle-leaf milkwort, is an evergreen 2–4 m tall South African shrub or small tree found along the southern and south-eastern coasts, from near Clanwilliam in the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It is a fast-growing pioneer plant, a typical fynbos component, and may be found on dunes, rocky places, along forest margins, beside streams, and in open grassland. It belongs to the milkwort family of Polygalaceae.
Aloe pluridens is an arborescent aloe indigenous to southern Africa.
Grewia robusta is a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, up to 3 m high, endemic to the semi-desert Karoo of South Africa, and very similar to Grewia occidentalis. It is one of some 325 species of Grewia in the family Malvaceae, and having a tropical African, Asian and Australian distribution. It is found in the arid regions of the Karoo and Eastern Cape, and generally prefers growing among dry scrub on rocky hillsides.
Phyllogeiton discolor, known as bird plum or brown ivory in English, is a tree native to southern and eastern Africa including Madagascar. It is a broadleaf tree growing to 18 m (60 ft).
Combretum zeyheri, the large-fruited bushwillow or Zeyher's bushwillow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Combretaceae, usually found growing on acidic or sandy soils in tropical African savannas. A small to medium-sized tree, its roots are used as a source of material for making baskets and as a traditional medicine for haemorrhoids.
Phyllogeiton is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Rhamnaceae, native to eastern and southern Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. It was resurrected from Berchemia.
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