| Podocarpus milanjianus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Podocarpus milanjanus in Mount Elgon National Park, Kenya | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Araucariales |
| Family: | Podocarpaceae |
| Genus: | Podocarpus |
| Species: | P. milanjianus |
| Binomial name | |
| Podocarpus milanjianus Rendle | |
Podocarpus milanjianus is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is native to the highlands and mountains of tropical Africa.
Podocarpus milanjianus is an evergreen tree which can grow slowly up to 35 meters in height, and up to 40 meters in favorable conditions. It is generally conical in form, with a straight cylindrical trunk. The trunk of mature trees can range from 150 to 300 cm in diameter, and unbranched for the first 10 to 20 meters from the ground. Some trees have a buttressed base. The leaves are narrow, glossy, and bright green. [2]
The trees are dioecious, and both male and female trees are required to produce fruit and seeds. [2]
Podocarpus milanjianus is the most widespread African podocarp. [2] It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. [1]
It grows in evergreen tropical montane rainforests, cloud forests, and high-elevation dwarf forests, between 900 and 3,250 meters elevation. [2]
The tree is widespread and locally plentiful, and is rated "least concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1]
Podocarpus milanjianus is closely related to Podocarpus latifolius . Whether they are a single or two separate species is not settled. Some authorities treat the South African populations as Podocarpus latifolius, and those elsewhere in Africa as Podocarpus milanjianus. Others treat them as a single species, Podocarpus latifolius. [2]
A 2020 study sampled DNA from Podocarpus latifolius and Podocarpus milanjianus trees, gathered from 88 sites across Africa. They concluded that all populations sampled constituted a single species: "As South African samples (P. latifolius) did not form a clade separated from the other clades (P. milanjianus), we confirm that the two taxa can be considered as synonyms." The authors concluded that the species originated in East Africa. The western populations, in the highlands of Cameroon and Nigeria and in the Angolan highlands, diverged from the other populations around 300,000 years ago, and the species reached its current distribution pattern about 200,000 years ago. [3]
Podocarpus milanjianus is valued as a timber tree, both commercially and artisanally. It produces straight pale yellow timber, which is fine-grained and easily sawn and worked. [2]
The tree is used to provide shade in tea, coffee, cocoa, and banana plantations, in reforestation projects, and as a roadside or ornamental tree. [2]
Parts of the tree have minor local uses as food (the fleshy receptacles at the seed base) or medicine (bark or leaves). [2]
Podocarpus latifolius is a large evergreen tree up to 35 m high and 3 m trunk diameter, in the conifer family Podocarpaceae; it is the type species of the genus Podocarpus.
The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopian Zone or Ethiopian Region.
Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elongated leaves, known as "laurophyll" or "lauroid". Plants from the laurel family (Lauraceae) may or may not be present, depending on the location.
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions of Africa are discontinuous, separated from each other by lower-lying areas, and are sometimes referred to as the Afromontane archipelago, as their distribution is analogous to a series of sky islands.
The Cameroonian Highlands forests, also known as the Cameroon Highlands forests, are a montane tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the range of mountains that runs inland from the Gulf of Guinea and forms the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. This is an area of forest and grassland which has become more populous as land is cleared for agriculture.
The wildlife of Cameroon is composed of its flora and fauna. Bordering Nigeria, it is considered one of the wettest parts of Africa and records Africa's second highest concentration of biodiversity. To preserve its wildlife, Cameroon has more than 20 protected reserves comprising national parks, zoos, forest reserves and sanctuaries. The protected areas were first created in the northern region under the colonial administration in 1932; the first two reserves established were Mozogo Gokoro Reserve and the Bénoué Reserve, which was followed by the Waza Reserve on 24 March 1934. The coverage of reserves was initially about 4 percent of the country's area, rising to 12 percent; the administration proposes to cover 30 percent of the land area.
Prioria balsamifera, the agba or tola, is a tall forest tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to lowland tropical rainforest in west Africa, from Nigeria southwards to the Congo basin in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, scattered or in local pockets, favouring deep soil and plenty of moisture. It is threatened by habitat loss and over-cutting for timber.
Pericopsis elata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is known by the common names African teak, afromosia, afrormosia, kokrodua and assamela.
Podocarpus matudae is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
Podocarpus parlatorei is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae and native to Argentina and Bolivia, where it grows on steep hillsides on the eastern flanks of the Andes. It has been harvested commercially in the past but is now protected under CITES. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its status as being "near threatened".
Astropanax barteri is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae.
The Angolan montane forest-grassland mosaic ecoregion is located on the east-facing inland side of the belt of mountains that stands parallel to the coast of Angola, 50–100 km inland.
Ilex mitis is a tall, dense, evergreen tree that is indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It makes an excellent fast-growing hedge for gardens - growing tall, straight and dense.
Baikiaea insignis is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae.
Gilbertiodendron dewevrei is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical rain forests in Central Africa. It is often the dominant tree species of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. The timber is traded as limbali, and is used for construction, flooring and railway sleepers. It is also used for making boats, furniture, tool handles and joinery and for making charcoal.
Julbernardia seretii, commonly known as the Congo zebrawood, is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. It is found in tropical West and Central Africa.
Newtonia buchananii is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae.
Cassipourea malosana is a species of plant native to tropical Africa.
Polyscias fulva is a species of flowering plant. It is an evergreen or deciduous tree, native to the mountains of tropical Africa and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula.
Croton macrostachyus is a species of flowering plant native to the mountains of Sub-Saharan Africa.
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