Month: March 2013

Vitellaria paradoxa

Vitellaria paradoxaCommon Name:Shea

Decsription
Vitellaria paradoxa is a small to medium-sized tree (min. 7) 10-15 (max. 25) m high; much branched, dense, spreading, round to hemispherical crown. In mature trees the bole is short, usually 3-4 m but exceptionally 8 m, with a diameter ranging from 0.3 to 1 m, but most frequently 0.6 m. Bark conspicuously thick, corky, horizontally and longitudinally deeply fissured; protects older trees against bush fires. Slash pale pink, secreting white latex, as do broken twigs or petioles.
Leaves in dense clusters, spirally .…Read more
References.
Switchboard
Wikipedia

Uapaca kirkiana

Uapaca kirkianaCommon Name: Wild loquat
Description
Uapaca kirkiana is a small to medium-sized evergreen or semi-deciduous tree with spreading multiple branches forming a dense rounded crown. The trunk is short and stout, attaining a height of 5-12 m and diameter of 5-25 cm. The bark is dark grey or grey-brown, thick and deeply fissured. Branchlets short, thick with prominent leaf scars. The young shoots are covered with creamy-brown hairs.
Leaves are simple and alternately arranged in clusters concentrated at the ends of branchlets. …Read more
Resources.
Switchboard
Wikipedia

Tamarindus indica

Tamarindus indicaCommon Name: Tamarind

Description
Tamarindus indica is a large evergreen tree up to 30 m tall, bole usually 1-2 m, up to 2 m diameter; crown dense, widely spreading, rounded; bark rough, fissured, greyish-brown.
Leaves alternate, compound, with 10-18 pairs of opposite leaflets; leaflets narrowly oblong, 12-32 x 3-11 mm, petiole and rachis finely haired, midrib and net veining more or less conspicuous on both surfaces; apex rounded to almost square, slightly notched; base rounded, asymmetric, with a tuft of yellow hairs; margin entire, fringed with fine hairs. Stipules present, falling very early.…Read more
References
Switchboard
Wikipedia

Sclerocarya birrea

Sclerocarya birreaCommon Name:Marula

Description
Sclerocarya birrea ssp. caffra is a medium to large tree, usually 9 m tall, but trees up to 18 m have been recorded; it is single stemmed with a dense, spreading crown and deciduous foliage; the bark is grey and usually peels off in flat, round disks, exposing the underlying light yellow tissue; young twigs are thick and digitaliform with spirally arranged composite leaves at their ends; it has a thick, relatively short taproot reaching depths of 2.4 m, lateral roots branch at the upper 60 cm of soil; mycorrhizae (root fungus) are found on the fine roots.
Leaves 18-25 x 8-15 cm, . .…Read more
References
Switchboard
Wikipedia