Julbernardia paniculata

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Julbernardia paniculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Detarieae
Genus: Julbernardia
Species:J. paniculata
Binomial name
Julbernardia paniculata
(Benth.) Troupin

Julbernardia paniculata is a medium to large tropical tree, also known as muchesa. It is widespread over the warmer parts of south tropical Africa, preferring moderately high altitudes, typically 1,000 to 1,200 metres (3,300 to 3,900 ft). It is very common over its range and is the dominant woodland tree in Miombo woodland over much of central Zambia and northern Malawi. [1]

Africa The second largest and second most-populous continent, mostly in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres

Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, being behind Asia in both categories. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognised sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. The majority of the continent and its countries are in the Northern Hemisphere, with a substantial portion and number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

Miombo

Miombo is the vernacular word for Brachystegia, a genus of tree comprising a large number of tree species together with Julbernadia species in woodlands. Miombo woodland is classified in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. The biome includes four woodland savanna ecoregions characterized by the predominant presence of miombo species, with a range of climates from humid to semi-arid, and tropical to subtropical or even temperate.

Zambia republic in southern Africa

Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in south-central Africa. It neighbours the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, located in the south-central part of Zambia. The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest, the core economic hubs of the country.

Contents

Distribution

The Muchesa is restricted in its range by availability of reliably wet conditions in the growing season of November to March. The rest of the year's rainfall is less important although it should be much drier as it requires at least a short dry resting period so its northern limits are determined by sufficient contrast between these two seasons. It does not occur south of the Zambezi river as it cannot withstand any frost or months with average temperatures of 15 °C (59 °F) or below. As a result, it grows in a band across the continent from north and north-east Angola through Katanga in Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the northern two-thirds of Zambia towards the inland plateau of north Mozambique and as far north as central Tanzania.

Angola country in Africa

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a west-coast country of south-central Africa. It is the seventh-largest country in Africa, bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Angola has an exclave province, the province of Cabinda that borders the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital and largest city of Angola is Luanda.

Katanga Province Former province in DR Congo

Katanga was one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1966 and 2015, when it was split into the Tanganyika, Haut-Lomami, Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Country in Central Africa

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as DR Congo, the DRC, DROC, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo, is a country located in Central Africa. It is sometimes anachronistically referred to by its former name of Zaire, which was its official name between 1971 and 1997. It is, by area, the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, the second-largest in all of Africa, and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of over 78 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country, the fourth-most-populated country in Africa, and the 16th-most-populated country in the world. Currently, eastern DR Congo is the scene of ongoing military conflict in Kivu, since 2015.

Appearance

Unlike its close relatives the msasa and mnondo the muchesa does not become bare during the dry season and only loses its leaves in the run-up to its spring flush of new leaves between mid-August and early September. As a result, it makes much less of a brilliant show of colour than other miombo woodland trees. The new leaves are, however, a very attractive red colour.

<i>Brachystegia spiciformis</i> species of plant

Brachystegia spiciformisBenth., commonly known as zebrawood, or Msasa, is a medium-sized African tree having compound leaves and racemes of small fragrant green flowers. The tree is broad and has a distinctive amber and wine red colour when the young leaves sprout during spring (August–September). It grows in savanna, both open woodland and closed woodland of Southern and Eastern Africa, mostly Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. The word Msasa is commonly used as a proper name in African place names. The word also means 'rough plant' in Swahili. Other common names: Mundu, Myombo, Mtondo (Tanzania), Muputu (Zambia). The plant is known in the Venda language as mutsiwa, which means 'the one that is left behind'. An outlying population of Brachystegia has recently been discovered in the Soutpansberg mountains of northern South Africa. This tree is a protected species in South Africa.

<i>Julbernardia globiflora</i> species of plant

Julbernardia globiflora is a tropical African tree widespread at moderate altitudes in Miombo woodland to the south and east of the equatorial forest region of the Congo basin. Its common name is Mnondo. It is ecologically important over wide areas and is dominant to co-dominant in many types of woodland, always being most successful in drier types of deciduous woodland where there is less competition.

The tree itself grows a well-proportioned shape and fine specimens are common, usually reaching heights of 20–23 metres (66–75 ft) in its favoured localities such as plateau woodland. The tree is recognisable by its grey bark, which flakes off in chunks leaving a rough surface and a rusty-brown inner bark exposed. The leaves contain two leaflets, with the end two being bigger than the first two so the leaf hangs slightly on still days. The flowers are insignificant themselves, as with other Julbernardia species, but are noticeable as velvety-brown sprays among the foliage. The dehiscent pods appear in September and split open to scatter the seeds when mature. [2]

Uses

The bark is used to extract tannin for tanning leather, while the leaves are highly prized for feeding to cattle due to their high nutritional content. They are also the source of favourite local delicacy - some kinds of fat caterpillars that feed on the leaves and are collected and roasted as a snack.

Tannin class of astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic chemical compounds

Tannins are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.

Perhaps the greatest value attached to the tree is its use as a source of nectar. The small blossoms may appear on the tree from late March (the end of the growing season) until June or even later and contain copious quantities of nectar at a time when few other trees are in bloom so beekeepers rely on it to maintain their production throughout the year.

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References

  1. Know Your Trees, Ed. Storrs, A.E.G., (1979), Zambia Forest Department Publishing
  2. Trees of Central Africa, Coates Palgrave, K., (1961), Longman Hardback