Agroforestree database This database provides detailed information on a total of 670 agroforestry tree species. It is intended to help field workers and researchers in selecting appropriate species for agroforestry systems and technologies. For each species, the database includes information on identity, ecology and distribution, propagation and management, functional uses, pests and diseases and a bibliography. This project has been funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID, the European Union and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). |
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| Acacia aneura | Acacia aneura is a perennial, evergreen, often single-stemmed tree, 10-15 m tall in high rainfall areas. Trunk brown, short, fissured and sometimes twisted. Bark at base of trunk fissured, greyish, 1 cm thick; upper parts thinner, smoother and often light grey. Branches ascending; branchlets angular, covered with dense, silvery hairs; young shoots brown, scaly and occasionally resinous. Tree develops a long taproot and an extensive lateral root system in the top 30-cm of the soil. Phyllodes flat, silvery grey-green, thick, leathery, narrow, lanceolate-shaped, 2-25 cm long, 1-10 mm wide, with many faint parallel nerves obscured by a dense covering of short hairs; margins usually lighter, tips blunt, curved or oblique with a small basal gland. Flowers bright yellow, slender, short, dense, 1-3 cm long , 5-7 mm wide, and borne on dense, axillary, cylindrical spikes; stalks 3-8 mm long. Pods light brown, 2-5 cm long, 7-15 mm wide, very obtuse, oblong, flat, membranous, thin, usually with a narrow but prominent membranous winged margin as wide as 2 mm. Seeds oval, flat, 3-5 x 2-4 mm, a shiny dark brown, oblique or transverse in the pod, with a hard testa; veins netlike; base narrow; tip very blunt; stalk thin and short, with 2 or 3 folds thickening into a small basal aril. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning point or barb. The species name was first published in Linnaea 26:627 (1855) and comes from the Greek word 'a' (not) and 'neuron' (a nerve), in allusion to the absence of conspicuous veins on the phyllodes. The standard trade name (Mulga) is an Aboriginal word for a long narrow shield made from Acacia wood. |
| Acacia holosericea | Acacia holosericea attains an average height of less than 8 m, with numerous branches beginning from the base, giving it a multi-stemmed appearance. The bark is smooth and green in the young plant. Phyllodes measure 10-25 x 1.5-10 cm, are thick, with 3-5 longitudinal veins. Flowers small, bright yellow, cattail-like spikes, 3-6 cm long. Pods narrow, coiled, 3-6 x by 2.5-5 cm, in dense clusters; contain small, oval, slightly flattened, shiny, black seeds measuring 2 x 3-5 mm. The generic name acacia comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning a point or a barb. The species name is derived from the Greek 'holo' (entire/whole) and the Latin 'sericeus' (silky, with long straight close-pressed glossy hairs), in reference to the indumentum of the plant. |
| Acacia leucophloea | Acacia leucophloea is a large thorny tree attaining a height of 35 m and a diameter at breast height of 100 cm. Trunk stout, dividing into several large diameter branches. Open-grown specimens have a characteristic wide umbrella-like crown. Bark white to yellowish gray, smooth, exfoliating in long strips, on old trees becoming black and rough. Leaves bipinnately compound, with 4-13 pairs of pinnae, each with 5-30 pairs of leaflets. Circular glands found on the rachis below the junction of paired-pinnae. The feathery green foliage offers a strong contrast to the light-coloured bark. Spines 2-5 mm long, at the base of leaves. Flowers conspicuous, light-yellow to cream in colour, in pendunculate glomerules aggregated in terminal or axillary panicles, 5-merous, corolla 1.2-2 mm long. Pods yellow, green or brown in colour, flat and fairly straight, 10-20 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, containing 10-20 smooth, oblong seeds, dark brown in colour, 6 x 4 mm in size. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning point or barb. |
| Acacia mearnsii | Acacia mearnsii is a small to large, evergreen, single-stemmed or multi-branched tree, 6-25 m high, with a straight trunk, growing to 50 cm in diameter; crown low, spreading, rounded; spines absent; bark brownish-black, hard and fissured; twigs angled, grey, densely hairy, tinged with yellow when young. Trees in their natural habitat have a spreading, rounded crown, but are erect and slender when crowded in plantations. Leaves dark green, alternate, feathery, with very soft hair, binnately compound, 8-15 cm long, with 8-21 pairs of pinnae 2-5 cm long, a round gland at base of each pair on upper surface; leaflets very numerous; 20-70 pairs of pinnae on each axis; small, crowded, narrowly oblong, 3 mm long, blunt, with dense soft hairs, yellowish when young becoming dark green, 1.5-4 x 0.5-0.75 mm; petiole 1.5-2.5 cm long, often with a gland above; rachis usually 4-12 cm long, with numerous raised glands all along its upper side both at and between insertions of pinnae pairs. The tree exhibits a superficial root system. Flower clusters (racemes) along axis at leaf base or terminal, composed of many (20-30) stalked, pale yellow balls (heads) 7-8 mm in diameter; flowers many, tiny, very sweet scented, composed of narrow 5-lobed calyx; corolla of 5 petals; stamens many, threadlike, pale yellow; pistil with long, slender style 2-6 mm long. Pods (legumes) narrowly oblong, flat, rough, blackish, with fine hair, fairly straight, 5-15 cm long by 4-9 mm wide but often constricted between the seeds, almost moniliform (in Australia pods less moniliform and almost glabrous are found), dehiscing along 1 margin; seeds about 1-14, longitudinal in the pod, beanlike, elliptical, flattened, blackish, 4 mm long; caruncle conspicuous; areole 3.5 x 2 mm. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning a point or a barb. The specific name is after A.R Mearns (1856-1916), an American army surgeon who collected the type specimen form a cultivated tree near Thika in Kenya. The name was first published in Pl. Bequaert in 1925. |
| Acacia mellifera | Acacia mellifera is a low, branched tree with a more or less spherical crown. Black bark on stem becomes ash-grey to light brown on the branches, bearing small, short, sharply hooked spines in pairs. It has a shallow but extensive root system radiating from the crown, allowing the plant to exploit soil moisture and nutrients from a large volume of soil. The roots rarely penetrate more than 1 m. Leaves characterized by 2 pairs of pinnulae, each with a single pair of leaflets. Leaflets elliptic 0.6-2 cm long and 0.6-1.2 cm wide, glabrous and highly coloured beneath. Flowers sweetly scented, especially at night, in elongated spikes, cream to white in spiciform racemes, up to 3.5 cm long; pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm long; calyx up to 1 mm long; corolla 2.5-3.5 mm long. The papery pods with 2-3-seeds are reticulate, flat, elongated, 2.5-5.5 cm long, 6 cm wide, hemmed, sometimes more or less narrowed between the seeds. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning point or barb. The specific name means ‘honey-bearing’. |
| Acacia saligna | Acacia saligna is a dense and multi stemmed, thornless, spreading shrub or a single-stemmed, small tree up to 9 m in height; bark is smooth and grey to red-brown on branchlets becoming dark grey and fissured with age. Leaves alternate, simple, flattened phyllodes, varying from very narrow to lance-shaped, about 10 times as long as wide, mostly 8-25 cm long and 0.5-2 cm wide, straight or slightly curved to the side, long, pointed and tapering at both ends like ribbons, hairless, often drooping, dull blue-green to whitish, with a permanent midvein and many fine side veins; large dotlike gland 1-2 mm or more in diameter at base of upper edge of phyllode. Flower clusters (heads) like balls, mostly 2-10 (sometimes 1), on stalks along axis (racemes) to 8 cm long at base of leaf; round, bright yellow or deep golden heads, 7-10 mm in diameter, with many (25-55) crowded, tiny flowers, abundant and showy; flowers stalkless, 3-4 mm long, mostly hairless, composed of calyx 1.5 mm long with conical tube and 5 short, rounded lobes, often finely hairy on edge; corolla of 5 narrow, long-pointed petals, 2-3 mm long, united near base; many threadlike stamens, pistil with hairless ovary and slender style. Fruits very narrow, 8-12 cm long and 4-6 mm wide, straight and flattened. There are 6 to 10 beanlike seeds, each 5-6 mm long x 3-2.5 mm wide, dark brown to black, shiny. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning a point or a barb. The specific name means ‘willowlike’ and describes the phyllodes. |
| Acacia senegal | Acacia senegal is a deciduous shrub, growing to 15 m tall and usually branched from the ground. Branches fork repeatedly and in mature trees commonly form a rounded, flat-topped crown. The trunk may vary in diameter up to about 30 cm. The bark is greyish-white, although in old trees growing in the open it may be dark, scaly and thin, showing the bright green cambium layer just below the surface if scratched with a nail. The slash is mottled red. Powerful hooked thorns, 3-5 mm long, with enlarged bases appear at the nodes of the branches, usually in 3s. They are sharp, with some pointing forwards and others backwards. Leaves bipinnate, 3-8 pinnae (glands between uppermost and lowermost pinnae); rachis up to 2.5 cm long; pinnacles are pairs of 8-15, green; 2 stipular spines strongly recurved with a 3rd pseudo-stipular between them. Flowers yellowish-white and fragrant, in cylindrical, axillary pedunculate spikes, 5-10 cm long; calyx of each flower has 5 deep lobes, 5 petals and a mass of short stamens; pistil inconspicuous. The pods are straight, thin, flat, shortly stipitate and oblong (7.5 x 2 cm), green and pubescent when young, maturing to shiny bronze, often with dark patches and bearing prominent veins; seeds 3-6, smooth, flat, rather small, shiny, dark brown. Varietal differences in A. senegal are based on variation in natural distribution as well as differences in morphological characteristics such as the presence or absence of hair on the axis of the flower spike, colour of the axis, shape of pod tips, number of pinnae pairs, occurrence of a distinct trunk and shape of the crown. Four different varieties of Acacia senegal are recognized: var. senegal, var. kerensis Schweinf., var. rostrata Brenan and var. leiorhachis Brenan. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning a point or a barb. |
| Acacia tortilis | Acacia tortilis is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or shrub that grows up to 21 m tall; well-developed multiple boles support a flat-topped or rounded, spreading crown; bark grey to black or dark brown, rough, fissured or smooth; young branchlets densely pubescent or glabrous to subglabrous and red to brown; spines paired, 2 types-long, straight and white, or short, brownish and hooked; they range from 1.2 to 8 cm in length. Leaves glabrous to densely pubescent, glandular, short at 1.25-3.75 cm long; petiole 0.2-0.9 cm long, with a gland; rachis 0.3-2 cm long, glabrous to densely pubescent, with a small gland at the junction of the apical pair of pinnae; pinnae 2-10 pairs; leaflets 4-22 pairs per pinnae, 0.5-4 (6 max.) x 0.2-1 mm, glabrous to densely pubescent on the underside; margins with or without cilia, linear to linear oblong. Inflorescence globose heads; peduncle white, pubescent, 0.4-2.5 cm long, with involucel on the lower half; flowers white or pale yellowish-white, sessile or shortly pedicellate, scented, 0.5-1.1 cm in diameter, on axillary peduncles; calyx 1-2 mm long; corolla 1.5-2.5 mm long. Pods variable, indehiscent, spirally twisted or rarely almost straight, 7-10 cm long, 6-10 (max. 13) mm broad, longitudinally veined, leathery, glabrous to tomentellous or villous, somewhat constricted between the seeds; seeds oblique or parallel to long axis of pod, 4-7 x 3-6 mm, compressed; areole 3-6 x 2-4 mm. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning a point or a barb. The name ‘tortilis’ means twisted and refers to the pod structure. |
| Adenanthera pavonina | Adenanthera pavonina is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree, 6-15 m tall and up to 45 cm diameter, depending on location; generally erect; bark dark brown to greyish; inner bark soft, pale brown; crown spreading; multiple stems common, as are slightly buttressed trunks in older trees. Leaves bipinnate; 2-6 opposite pairs of pinnae, each with 8-21 leaflets on short stalks; alternate leaflets 2-2.5 x 3 cm, oval-oblong, with an asymmetric base and blunt apex, dull green on topside and blue-green underside; leaves turn yellow with age. Flowers borne in narrow spikelike racemes, 12-15 cm long, at branch ends; flowers small, creamy yellow, fragrant; each flower star shaped with 5 petals, connate at the base, and having 10 prominent stamen-bearing anthers tipped with minute glands. Pods long and narrow, 15-22 x 2 cm with slight constrictions between seeds, dark brown, turning black upon ripening, leathery, curve and twist upon dehiscence to reveal 8-12 hard-coated, showy seeds, 7.5-9 mm in diameter, lens shaped, vivid scarlet; seeds adhere to pod. Ripened pods remain on the tree for long periods, sometimes until the following spring. The name ‘Adenanthera’ is derived from a combination of the Greek words ‘aden’, a gland, and ‘anthera’, anther, alluding to the anther’s characteristics of being tipped and having a deciduous gland. |
| Albizia anthelmintica | Albizia anthelmintica is a thorny/spiny, deciduous, multi-stemmed, medium canopied tree growing to about 8m. Bark smooth, gray to brown. Young branchlets glabrous or sometimes shortly pubescent, twigs are often spine-tipped. Leaves bipinnate in 1-5 pairs, leaflets opposite, 7-36 mm long, 6-31 mm wide, apex mucronate. Flowers usually on leafless twigs, pedicels 0.5-5.5 mm long. Calyx pale greenish, 3-5 mm long. Corolla pale green 6-12 mm long, glabrous, staminal filaments white, about 1.5-2 cm long. Fruit a pod, 7-18 cm long, 1.5-2.9 cm wide, straw colored, papery and pointed. Seeds round and flattened, 6-8 per pod, 9-13 mm in diameter. The genus was named after Filippo del Albizzi, a Florentine nobleman who in 1749 introduced A. julibrissin into cultivation. The latin specific epithet arises from the common medicinal use of this tree’s parts for deworming. The species is becoming rare due to over-utilisation, a typical case is Kordofan area of Sudan. |
| Albizia saman | Albizia saman is a conspicuous, semi-deciduous tree that can attain a height of 60 m, although it rarely exceeds 30 m and 4.5 m at DBH; crown dense, spreading, sometimes 30 m across; bole short, usually crooked, often with huge, widely spreading branches from low down. Bark distinctly grey-brown, yellow or cream-brown, smooth, becoming slightly to deeply fissured with age, peeling off in long, fibrous strips; slash yellowish-pink and fibrous beneath, exuding a brown gum; branches velvety. Leaves bipinnately compound, 15-40 cm long, velvety, with a circular gland at the base and usually between each of the pinnae; pinnae 4-6 opposite, 7-15 cm long, velvety, with small glands between most of the leaflets and a common stalk grooved on the upper surface; leaflets 4-8 pairs, opposite, progressively larger upwards, the end pair 4-5 cm long, 18-32 mm broad, unsymmetrical with the midrib curved inwards and the outer margin more curved than the inner; lower leaflets approximately in the shape of a parallelogram with the midrib running diagonally upwards, bright green, oblong, smooth, stalkless, finely hairy underside, almost glabrous topside, with prominent midribs and lateral nerves. Flowers white below, pink above, solitary or in small clusters in the leaf axils or clustered at the ends of shoots, forming subglobose heads are 5-7 cm wide, central flower different from the others, the heads on stalks 5-8 cm long; whole inflorescence finely hairy; stamens conspicuous. Pods more or less straight with conspicuously thickened edges, black or green and set in brownish pulp, 12-20 cm long, 1-2 cm long, 1.2 cm thick, indehiscent, containing numerous seeds embedded in the pulp. The genus was named after the 18th-century Florentine nobleman and naturalist Filippo del Albizzi, who in 1749 introduced A. julibrissin into cultivation. The common name ‘rain tree’ comes from the observation that grass is often greener under the tree’s canopy. |
| Annona cherimola | Annona cherimola is a fairly dense, fast-growing, evergreen tree, erect but low branched and somewhat shrubby or spreading; ranging from 5 to 9 m in height; and its young branchlets are rusty-hairy. The attractive leaves are single and alternate, 2-ranked, with minutely hairy petioles 6 to 12.5 mm long; ovate to elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, short blunt-pointed at the apex; dark green and slightly hairy on the upper surface, velvety on the underside; 7.5-15 cm long, 3.8-8.9 cm wide. The fragrant flowers are borne solitary or in groups of 2 or 3, on short, hairy stalks along the branches, have 3 outer, greenish, fleshy, oblong, downy petals to 3 cm long and 3 smaller, pinkish inner petals. The compound fruit is conical or somewhat heart-shaped, 10-20 cm long and up to 10 cm in width, weighing on the average 150-500 g but extra large specimens may weigh 2.7 kg or more. The skin may be smooth with fingerprint like markings or covered with conical or rounded protuberances. The fruit opens to expose the snow-white, juicy flesh, of pleasing aroma and delicious, subacid flavor; and containing numerous hard, brown or black, beanlike, glossy seeds, 1-2 cm long. |
| Antidesma bunius | Antidesma bunius may be shrubby, 3-8 m high, or may reach up to 15-30 m. It has wide-spreading branches forming a dense crown. Leaves evergreen, alternate, oblong, pointed, 10-22.5 cm long, 5-7.5 cm wide, dark-green, glossy, leathery, with very short petioles. Flowers tiny, odorous, reddish, male and female on separate trees, the male in axillary or terminal spikes, the female in terminal racemes 7.5-20 cm long. Fruits round or ovoid, up to 8 mm across, borne in grape-like pendent clusters (often paired) and which are extremely showy because the berries ripen unevenly. Skin thin and tough but yields an abundance of bright-red juice which leaves a purple stain on fabrics, while the pulp, only 3 mm thick, is white with colorless juice. Whole fruits very acid, much like cranberries, when unripe, sub-acid and slightly sweet when fully ripe. Some tasters detect a bitter or unpleasant aftertaste, unnoticeable to others. There is a single, straw-colored, ridged or fluted very hard seed, 3cm long, 6 mm wide. The generic name Antidesma is derived from the Greek ‘anti’-against and ‘desma’-a band or constriction, alluding to its use as anti-snake venom in India. |
| Artocarpus camansi | Artocarpus camansi is a moderately fast growing, single-stemmed, evergreen tree of 10-15 m or more with a trunk 1 m in diameter or larger, often growing to a height of 5 m before branching; a spreading canopy of diameter about half of the tree height and a more open branching structure than breadfruit (A. altilis) or dugdug (A. mariannensis). The tree forms buttresses at the base; roots spread and grow on or slightly below the surface. Sticky, white, milky latex is present in all parts of the tree. Leaves alternate, large, 40–60 cm long, moderately dissected with 4–6 pairs of lobes and sinuses cut half way to the midrib. New leaves on young trees can be 76 cm long or more; densely pubescent, with many white or reddishwhite hairs on upper and lower veins, lower leaf surface, and petiole. Blade is dull green with green veins. Two large green stipules enclose the bud, turning yellow before dehiscing. Flowers monoecious occuring at the ends of branches, with the male inflorescence appearing first. Male flowers are club-shaped, up to 3 cm in diameter and 25–35 cm long or longer. Female inflorescences consist of 1500–2000 reduced flowers attached to a spongy core. Unlike breadfruit, the individual flowers do not fuse together along their length. Fruit a large fleshy syncarp, oval or ovoid, 7-12 cm in diameter and weighs about 800 g; the skin dull green to green-yellow when ripe with a spiny texture from the pointed, flexible, long tips of the individual flowers; the scanty pulp yellow-whitish when ripe with a sweet aroma and taste. Seeds, 12-150 per fruit, rounded or flattened, about 2.5 cm long with a thin, light brown outer seed coat patterned with darker veins, weighs 7-10 g each and comprising 30-50% or more of the total fruit weight. Breadnut can be readily distinguished from its close relative, breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), by its very spiny fruits with little pulp and numerous large, light brown seeds. Artocarpus camansi has often been considered to be a form of seeded breadfruit. Breadfruit, however, is a separate species that originated from its wild seeded ancestor, breadnut. |
| Artocarpus mariannensis | Artocarpus altilis is a large evergreen, spreading canopy, single-trunked tree up to 20 m or more with buttressed trunks more than 2 m in diameter at the base often not branching below 5 m from the ground. The tree is shallow-rooted. Sticky white latex is present in all parts of the tree. The bark is smooth, brownish-gray, with new shoots purplish green. Leaves alternate, 15–30 cm long, broadly obovate to elliptic, typically entire or shallowly 1–3 lobed on the upper third of leaf. Blade is smooth, glossy, flexible, dark green with greenish-yellow veins and few hairs on upper veins. Two large green stipules enclose the bud and turn yellow before dehiscing. Flowers monoecious, occuring at ends of branches, with the male inflorescence appearing first. Male flowers club-shaped, up to 3 cm in diameter and 8–12 cm long. Thousands of tiny flowers with two anthers each are attached to a central spongy core. Female inflorescences consist of 1500–2000 reduced flowers attached to a spongy core. The flowers fuse together and develop into the fleshy, edible portion of the fruit. Fruit a small fleshy syncarp, cylindrical, kidney shaped or asymmetrical, about 15 cm long, about 500 g; skin dark green, even when mature, with a pebbly texture from the raised, flattened, hexagonal disks of individual flowers; pulp whitish-yellow when immature and deep yellow when ripe, with a sweet aroma and taste. Seeds large, dark brown, shiny, 1.5 cm long, with little or no endosperm, up to 15 per fruit. Artocarpus marianensis can be readily distinguished from breadfruit (A. altilis) by the small, typically entire leaves. The dark green, lumpy fruit is smaller and more asymmetrical than breadfruit, with a dark yellow pulp. Artocarpus camansi (breadnut, kamansi) has oblong, very spiny fruits with little pulp and numerous large, light brown seeds, and large, shallowly dissected leaves with 4–6 pairs of lobes. |
| Averrhoa carambola | Averrhoa carambola is a small, evergreen, multistemmed tree 3-5 m high or rarely 10 m high, attaining 15 cm diameter at the base; bark light brown, smooth or finely fissured. Leaves alternate, pinnate, 15-25 cm long, disposed more or less in a horizontal plane, shortly petiolate with 7-9 pendant leaflets; leaves have the peculiarity of being sensitive to touch in the same way as certain Mimosa species. Inflorescence in panicles 2-5 cm long in the axils of old leaves; flowers pentamerous, with a calyx of 5 pink sepals surrounding the purple corolla; androecium contains 5 fertile stamens and 5 staminoids; gynoecium bears 5 slender united styles. Fruit a large, indehiscent berry, 5-8 cm long; with a characteristic shape in cross-section resembling a 5-pointed star; yellowish-green, becoming orange-yellow when ripe. Each cell of the fruit contains 5 arillate seeds. The generic name is after Averrhoes (1126-98), the widely known Arab Philosopher. The specific name, ‘carambola’, is said to have come from Malabar and was adopted early by the Portuguese. |
| Balanites aegyptiaca | Balanites aegyptiaca is a multibranched, spiny shrub or tree up to l0 m high. Crown rounded, dense (but still seen through) with long stout branchlets. Trunk and bark grey, deeply fissured longitudinally. Leaves compound and spirally arranged on the shoots, dark green with 2 firm coriaceous leaflets; dimensions and shapes varying widely. Petiole canaliculate, from 5 mm to 20 mm with a short rachis. Most accounts indicate a maximum length of 8 mm for Uganda. Margin of each leaflet entire; lamina generally up to 6 cm long, 4 cm broad, although apparently smaller (1-3 x 0.3-1.5 cm) in the Sahara and in Palestine. Inflorescence a sessile or shortly pedunculate fascicle of a few flowers. Flower buds ovoid and tomentose. Individual flowers hermaphroditic, pentamerous an actinomorphic, 8-14 mm in diameter and generally greenish-yellow. Pedicels densely greyish, pubescent and rarely reaching 10 mm in length, although 15 mm is reported for Zambia and Zimbabwe. The usual length is about 8 mm. Fruit ellipsoid, up to 4 cm long, green. Ripe fruit brown or pale brown with a brittle coat enclosing a brown or brown-green sticky pulp and a hard stone seed. The name Balanites (from the Greek for acorn, referring to the fruit) was given in 1813 by Alire Delile and replaced Agialid (derived from the Arabic name for the tree, 'heglig'). |
| Bauhinia tomentosa | Bauhinia tomentosa is usually a scrambling, many-stemmed shrub or small tree reaching 4 m (max. 8) in height, the branches often drooping, with many slender twigs. Bark grey and smooth or slightly hairy on young branches, becoming brown and smooth on the older stems. Leaves deeply divided for almost half their length, with a small apical appendage between the lobes; each lobe is oval to almost elliptic, most often small about 2.5 x 2.5 cm, but may be up to 8 cm, pale fresh green; apex of each lobe broadly tapering; base of the whole leaf shallowly lobed; margin entire, petiolate; leaf stalk 10 to 30 mm long. Flowers bell-shaped, up to 7 cm long, beautiful and distinctive, pendulous, solitary, with large, lemon-yellow petals, 1-3 of which have a dark maroon patch at the base and turning a veined reddish brown with age. Fruit a woody pod, slender, pale brown, velvety, pointed, 10-11 x 1.5-2 cm, dehiscent, splitting on the tree to release 6-12 seeds. Seeds 7-8.5 x 5.5-7 x 2-3 mm, ovate, compressed, glossy, reddish brown, somewhat rugose to nearly smooth, with V-shaped marginal hilum, often bearing an apical, hook-shaped funicular remnant. The generic name commemorates the Bauhin brothers Jean (1541-1613) and Gaspard (1560-1624), the Swiss botanists; the two lobes of the leaf exemplify the two brothers, and tomentosa is derived from tomentose, meaning with dense, interwoven hairs. |
| Boscia senegalensis | Boscia senegalensis is an evergreen undershrub or more rarely a shrub, usually 1-2 m tall, but sometimes up to 4 m, particularly in good conditions;stem darkish. Leaves of a greenish mat hue, coriaceus, spread or erect, elliptic, or ovate-elliptic, obtuse or mucronate, reaching 12 cm x 4 cm, with 5-6 lateral veins arranged in arcs ending at the tip of the following vein and linked together by a network of smaller veins producing a polygonal pattern on the lower side of the leaf. Veins protruding on the lower face; white veins very conspicuous on the upper side, contrasting with the green of the leaf blade. Flowers have a tiny pedicel, they are hairy, greenish-white with four valvular, hairy sepals, no petals, 6-20 free stamens inserted at the base of a short gynophorum inside a thick disc sometimes somewhat fringed. Ovary ovoid with very short style and only one loculum with many ovules. Fruit a spherical berry, 1.5 (1.2) cm in diameter, yellow when mature, shortly subsessile, clustered in small bunches (with usually 2-3 fruits only). Slightly but not always hairy. The epicarp is crustaceus; the pulp is translucent, of jelly-like texture, slightly sweet but otherwise tasteless. It contains 1-2 (1-4) ventrally flattened seeds, greenish when mature. |
| Cadaba farinosa | Cadaba farinosa is a slender shrub with a strongly furrowed stem, rarely straight with a yellowish grey bark. Young twigs densely covered with sessile or subsessile scales, sometimes mixed with stiff glandular and eglandular hairs. Leaves numerous and small, alternate on young shoots, clustered on older wood; leaf blade elliptic to obovate, 4-40 x 3-30 mm, apically rounded or retuse, mucronate, basally rounded or cuneate, farinose on both surfaces or glabrescent; petiole up to 3-4 mm long, densely farinose. Flowers yellowish-green in racemes with farinose axis, 0.8-4.5 cm long. Bracts trifid with reduced central segment, pedicels 0.7-1.5 cm long. Sepals 4, ovate-elliptic, commonly 5-12 x 4 mm, farinose outside, puberulous at margins. Petals 4, with claw 6-7 mm long and oblanceolate blade, 4-5 mm long. Androphore 7-9 mm long; stamens 5 with filaments 1-1.4 cm long, anthers 3.5 mm long. Gynophore 0.8-1.2 cm long, sparsely covered with subsessile or short-stalked glands. Ovary cylindrical, farinose and with a flattened stigma. Fruit oblong, cylindrical with contractions 5cm long and densely farinose. The interior of the fruit is orange-red when mature. Seeds are the size of a millet grain, comma-shaped, shiny, dark brown, and arranged in a single layer within the fruit. Two subspecies are recognized; subsp. farinosa with young twigs densely covered with sessile scales, pedicels and sepals shorter, subsp. adenotricha with young twigs covered with glandular or simple hairs often mixed with sessile scales, pedicels and sepals longer. C. farinosa Forssk. subsp. rarifolia is reported in Pakistan. |
| Calliandra calothyrsus | Calliandra calothyrsus is a small, thornless, often multistemmed shrub. Under optimum conditions it can attain a height of 12 m and a trunk diameter of 30 cm, but its average height is 5-6 m and diameter 20 cm. Bark colour varies from white to dark red-brown and is normally glabrous but occasionally can be finely pubescent. It has both superficial and deep-growing roots. Sometimes a taproot is formed. Leaves alternate, petiolate, bipinnately compound, 10-19 cm long and without an upper waxy sheen. Pinnae vary in number from 6 to 20 pairs and possess 19-60 pairs of linear, acute or obtuse leaflets. Flowers in a subterminal inflorescence with numerous long, hairlike stamens. Flowers and sepals green, staminal filaments purple or red. Fruits broadly linear and flattened with a pod 8-13 cm long which breaks open, each half curling back to set free 3-15 shiny, black seeds. Pods 11-16 mm wide, long, attenuate to the base and sharply acute at the apex. The generic epithet Calliandra is derived from 'calli' meaning beautiful and 'andra' for the male floral parts describes the beautiful and prominent anthers characteristic of this leguminous plant. The specific epithet describes the equally beautiful inflorescence of the species. |
| Capparis decidua | Capparis decidua is a bushy shrub in dense tufts, 4-5 m high, or occasionally a small tree with many green vine-like apparently leafless branches, hanging in bundles. Bark turns whitish-grey colour with age, but most branches and twigs are a glossy dark green. Small, light brown spines occur in pairs on the twigs at each node. Leaves very minute (2 mm long), with a very short life span on young shoots, so that the plant looks leafless most of the time. Flowers pink, red-veined, in small groups along the leafless shoots, in the axils of the spines. Fruit a small many-seeded ovoid or sub-globulous, slightly mucronate pink berry of the size and shape of a cherry, becoming blackish when dry. The generic name is derived from the Arabic 'kapar', the name for Capparis spinosa. |
| Carissa congesta | Carissa congesta is a rank-growing, straggly, woody, climbing shrub, usually growing to 3-5 m high, sometimes ascending to the tops of tall trees. Branches numerous and spreading, forming dense masses, set with sharp, simple or forked thorns, up to 5 cm long, in pairs in the axils of the leaves. Leaves evergreen, opposite, oval or elliptic, 2.5-7.5 cm long; dark-green, leathery, glossy on the upper surface, lighter green and dull on the underside. Flowers fragrant, tubular with 5 hairy lobes, twisted to the left in the bud instead of to the right as in other species; white, often tinged with pink, borne in terminal clusters of 2 to 12. Fruits in clusters of 3-10, oblong, broad-ovoid or round, 1.25-2.5 cm long; skin fairly thin but tough, purplish-red, turning dark-purple or nearly black when ripe; smooth, glossy; enclosing very acid to fairly sweet, often bitter, red or pink juicy pulp, exuding flecks of latex. There may be 2 to 8 small, flat, brown seeds. The name Carissa is probably derived from the Sanskrit ‘corissa’, a name for one of the Indian species of the genus. |
| Carissa edulis | Carissa edulis is a spiny, much branched, small tree, shrub or scrambler, up to 5 m in height, with a milky sap. Bark grey, smooth, young branchlets with or without hairs; spines simple, straight, 2-5 cm long, usually single. Leaves ovate to ovate-elliptic, opposite, occasionally almost circular, 2.5-6 x 1.8-3 cm, leathery, dark green above, paler green below, with or without short, soft hairs; lateral veins obscure; apex tapering, often with a bristlelike tip; base rounded to shallowly lobed; margin entire; petiole 1-4 mm long. Flowers white tinged with purple, red or pink, up to 1.8 cm long, about 2 cm in diameter, slender, tubular, with corolla lobes overlapping to the right, sweetly scented, in terminal heads about 4 cm in diameter. Fruits ovoid to almost spherical, up to 1.1 cm in diameter, red-black, ripening to purplish black, containing 2-4 flat seeds. C. edulis closely resembles C. bispinosa, the obvious feature separating them being that C. edulis has straight thorns and those of C. bispinosa are Y-shaped. The name Carissa is probably derived from the Sanskrit ‘corissa’, a name for one of the Indian species of the genus. The specific name, edulis, means edible. |
| Chamaecytisus palmensis | Chamaecytisus palmensis is an attractive, evergreen shrub or small tree with long, drooping branches, when managed as a single-stemmed tree it reaches heights of 7-8 m, but its common growth form is a multi-stemmed, spreading shrub of 5-7 m. Leaves are on short petioles, leaflets lanceolate, glabrous above, pubescent below. Flowers white, in umbels mostly at the end of short branchlets, fragrant, pea-like, produced in profuse masses; calyx tubular, pubescent, 10-12mm long; standard about twice as long. Fruit a pod, 4-5 cm long, 12 mm broad, pubescent, black when ripe. Seeds black, 8-12 per pod. |
| Colubrina arborescens | Colubrina arborescens is an evergreen or semi-deciduous tree to 25 m tall, 20-30 cm dbh, and sometimes a shrub with multiple stems. The bark on trunks is grey or brown, smoothish, fissured, or platy. Inner bark pink, brown, or reddish-brown. The roots are dark brown with reddish inner bark and are somewhat brittle. Leaves ovate to elliptic, alternately in two rows on twigs, papery to leathery, 5-18 cm long by 5-12 cm wide, pointed at the tip and rounded at the base, and prominent, curved veins. Flowers yellow or yellow-green, tiny, in short-stalked cymes in the leaf axils. Fruit a globose capsule, 6-10 mm in diameter, split into three parts Seeds globose, black, 3-3.5 mm, hard. |
| Cordeauxia edulis | Cordeauxia edulis is an evergreen, multistemmed shrub up to 4 m high. A taproot system up to 3 m deep with small secondary rhizomes near the surface and nodules on younger roots. Leaves pinnate; leaflets ovate to oblong-ovate; leathery, with red glands on the lower surface. Flowers yellow. Pods each contain 1-4 round or ovoid seeds, mistakenly called nuts, 2.0-3.5 cm long. The specific name, ‘edulis’, means edible. |
| Cordia sinensis | Cordia sinensis is a low leafy shrub or bush, multi-stemmed tree 3-12 m high and often with slender branches tending to droop. The bark is brown to pale creamy-brown, finely fissured longitudinally, or smooth, dark grey on branches. Leaves opposite, (sub)opposite or alternate, ovate to obovate or broadly, 2-12 x 1-4.5 cm, glabrous or slightly pubescent and often somewhat sandpapery; petiole about 10 mm longwith long pale hairs. Flowers white or cream, in terminal cymes 6-7 cm long, rather urn-shaped, corolla 8-9 cm long and calyx lobes are covered with yellowish-brown short soft hairs, browning when over. Fruits conical, bright red or orange when ripe, 7-20 mm long, with conspicuous long tip and hang in conspicuous clusters. Seed 1-4, hard, rough, yellowish cream. The generic name honours a 16th century German botanist, Valerius Cordus. The specific epithet 'sinensis' refers to its Chinese origin. |
| Crossopteryx febrifuga | Crossopteryx febrifuga is a deciduous savanna tree 1.8-15 m tall, with a rounded crown and pendulous branchlets. Bark pale grey to dark brown, scaly, finely reticulate; young stems glabrous to densely hairy pubescent. Young leaves tender green. Leaf blades elliptic, elliptic-oblong, ovate, obovate or almost round, 1.5-13.5 cm long, 1.2-7.5 cm wide, rounded to shortly acuminate at the apex, broadly cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous to densely pubescent or velvety; petioles 0.5-1.8 cm long; stipules 2-3 mm long, acuminate. Inflorescences dense and strongly fragrant, 6-10 cm long; peduncles up to 6 cm long. Calyx tube 1 mm long; lobes elliptic to linear, 0.5-1.5 mm long, obtuse or acute. Corolla creamy white or pale yellow, densely pubescent outside; tube tinged pink, 5-11 mm long; lobes round 1.5 mm long and wide. Style exserted for 3-5 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mmm wide. Fruit globose, dark purple or black, 6-10 mm across. Crossopteryx is a monospecific African genus with a wide distribution. The generic epithet is derived from Greek “krossoi” and “pteron” meaning fringed wing and is based on its seed shape. The specific epithet febrifuga relates to its medical use in fever treatment. |
| Crotalaria juncea | Crotalaria juncea is an erect, herbaceous, laxly branched annual, 1-3.5 m tall. The stems are cylindrical and ribbed, pubescent, up to 2 cm in diameter; vegetative parts covered with short, downy hairs. Long, strong taproot, well-developed lateral roots, and multibranched and lobed nodules, up to 2.5 cm in length. Leaves simple with minute, pointed stipules; petiole entire, short, about 5 mm long with pulvinus blade, linear elliptic to oblong, 4-12 x 0.5-3, bright green. Inflorescence a lax, terminal raceme, up to 25 cm long; flowers conspicuous, small with 5 hairy sepals, shortly united at base, lobes pointed, with 3 lower sepals united at tips, separating in fruit; petals deep yellow, standard erect, about 2.5 cm in diameter, rounded, sometimes streaked purple on dorsal surface, wings shorter and keel twisted. Pods cylindrical, 3-6 x 1-2 cm, tomentose, light brown, containing about 6 seeds. Seed heart-shaped, with narrow end strongly incurved, up to 6 mm long, dark brown to black. The genus name ‘Crotalaria’, meaning rattle, is indicative of the noise made by the seeds shaken in the mature pods. The species name was given by Linnaeus because the plant’s green, rushlike, scantily leaved branches resemble Spartium junceaum L., the Spanish broom of the Mediterranean region. |
| Crotalaria micans | Crotalaria micans is a shrub up to 4 m tall; young branches angular, appressed pubescent. Leaves trifoliolate; petiole 3-5 cm long, longitudinally grooved above; stipules linear, 0.5-7 mm long, caducous; leaflets oblong-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 4-10 cm x 1-4.5 cm, apex acute to acuminate or obtuse, base cuneate, lower surface and midrib above puberulous, upper surface glabrous, lateral leaflets slightly smaller than terminal one. Inflorescence a rather dense, 15-30 flowered, terminal raceme, 15-30 cm long, often leaf opposed; bracts linear, about 1 cm long, very early caducous; pedicel 5-9 mm long; bracteoles similar to bracts but smaller, inserted just above the middle part of the pedicel, flowers bisexual, 5-merous, 12-18 mm long; calyx 8-13 mm long, appressed puberulous, tube campanulate, 5-6 mm long, bilabiate and 5-lobed, lobes longer than the tube, upper lobes triangular-acuminate, often coherent at the tips with the lateral lobes and woolly on the inside of the margins; corolla 14-18 mm long, yellow, purplish-veined. Fruit an inflated, short-stipitate pod, sub-cylindrical, 3-4 cm x 1 cm, appressed puberulous, brown, dehiscent, with 16-20 seeds. Seed unequal-sided heart-shaped, about 4.5 mm x 3.5 mm, fine papillate, yellowish-brown. The genus name ‘Crotalaria’, meaning rattle, is describes the noise made by the seeds shaking in mature pods. The specific epithet means gleaming or with a slight metallic luster. |
| Dactyladenia barteri | Dactyladenia barteri is a climbing shrub or small tree, up to 12 m tall; bole fluted, often multiple, crooked, up to 25(-40) cm in diameter; bark brittle, slash thin and watery white, turning reddish; crown dense, spreading. Young shoots dark red, covered with whitish arachnoid tomentum, early caducous; branches more or less scandent, slender, hispid, and very quickly glabrescent when young, with numerous lenticels when old. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules often attached near the base of the petiole, linear, 4-6 mm long; petiole 3-4 mm long; blade elliptical-oblong to ovate, 7-13(-15) cm x 3-5.5(-7) cm, dark glossy green, turning reddish-brown when senescent, base acuminate, sometimes broadly acuminate and somewhat asymmetrical, apex acuminate; lateral veins in 4-6 pairs, some circular glands often present on the underside of the blade near the base and apex. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme, single or sometimes in pairs, 3-4(-12) cm long, puberulous, many flowered; peduncle up to 1(-4) cm long; bracts elliptical-lanceolate, 2-4 mm long, tricuspidate, often with circular glands; pedicel articulated; flowers bisexual, zygomorphic; receptacal tubular, 4-6 mm long, puberulous; sepals 5, 4-5 mm long, puberulous outside; petals 5, oblong-obovoid, white, caducous; stamens 15-20, 25 mm long; pistil with 1-locular ovary, a filiform style slightly longer than the stamens, and a 3-lobed stigma. Fruit a single-seeded drupe, compressed-ovoid, 2.5 cm x 3.5 cm x 5 cm, green, surface often ferruginous-tomentose, apex often slightly tuberculate. |
| Diospyros kaki | Diospyros kaki is a multi-stemmed or sometimes single-stemmed deciduous tree up to 6(-18) m tall and typically round-topped, fairly open, erect or semi-erect, sometimes crooked or willowy; seldom with a spread of more than 4.5-6 m. Branches somewhat brittle and can be damaged in high winds. Leaves alternate, entire, ovate-elliptic, oblong-ovate, or obovate, 7.5-25 cm long, 5-10 cm wide, leathery, glossy on the upper surface, brown-silky beneath; bluish-green, turning in the fall to rich yellow, orange or red; petioles 2 cm long, brown-hairy. Flowers inconspicuous surrounded by a green calyx tube, borne in leaf axils of new growth from one-year old wood. Female flowers solitary, cream-colored; male flowers pink-tinged, borne in threes. Commonly, 1-5 flowers per twig emerge as the new growth extends. Fruit round, conical, oblate, or nearly square, capped by the persistent calyx, skin thin, smooth, glossy, yellow, orange, red or brownish-red; flesh yellow, orange, or dark-brown, juicy, gelatinous, seedless or containing 4-8 seeds. Generally, the flesh is bitter and astringent until fully ripe, when it becomes soft, sweet and pleasant, but dark-fleshed types may be non-astringent, crisp, sweet and edible even before full ripening. Seed flat, oblong, brown, 2 cm long. From the Greek diospyros, composed of dios (divine), and pyros (grain), from the edible fruit of some species. The specific epithet is derived from the Japanese word for plant, kaki-no-ki. |
| Dodonaea angustifolia | Dodonaea angustifolia is a variable shrub or tree, usually 2-8 m tall; branchlets rusty red and resinous; bark dark grey, fissured and peeling. Leaves simple lanceolate, pale green, margins untoothed; leaf tip round or pointed; 5-10 cm long, 5-8 mm wide; leaves secrete gummy exudate - thus appearing shiny always. Flowers inconspicuous, pale green; sepals greenish-yellow, petals absent; stamens brown. Fruits pale green, sometimes inflated; 3-winged, wings pale brown or coral pink. Seed black, smooth. The taxonomy of the species has been confusing because of its widespread distribution and similarity to the closely related D. viscosa. Dodonaea was named after Rambert Dodoaens, a famous 16th century physician and author on plants. The specific epithet means narrow-leaved. |
| Euclea divinorum | Euclea divinorum is a shrub or small tree up to about 6 m tall, often branching from the base or sometimes with a single stem. Bark grey, fairly smooth in young trees but fissured in older specimens. Crown much branched and grey-green in colour. Leaves simple, coriaceus, lanceolate, margins wavy, sub-opposite or alternate, 3.5-9 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide. Upper surfaces light green or grey green, sometimes with a yellowish tinge, lower surface pale and smoother in texture. Nerves visible as fine lines and midrib raised below. Flowers small, cup-shaped and creamy in colour borne on a short dense head, flowers and inflorescence covered with tiny, rusty-brown dots. Male and female flowers on separate trees. Fruit a round, thinly fleshed berry, usually 1-seeded, purple when ripe. The botanical author of the species, William Phillip Hiern noted the popular use of the plant by diviners and thus coined the specific epithet divinorum for it. |
| Euonymus japonicus | Euonymus japonicus is a much branched, evergreen shrub or small tree up to 7 m tall; twigs green, smooth, often wrinkled when dry. Leaves lightly serrated, thick, dark green, opposite, 2.5-7 mm long, very waxy. Flowers inconspicuous, white clusters, each with 4 green petals 6-10 mm. Fruit capsule 4 celled, deep pink, exposing bright orange pulp on opening. E. japonicus can be distinguished from the spindle tree (E. europaeus) by its rounded, unlobed capsule. Aureus is a cultivar of E. japonicus whose leaves are yellow in the middle with green margins; the leaves of cultivar Albomarginatus are green in the middle and yellow on the margins. The generic name translates into 'good name' from the Greek 'eu'-good and 'onoma'-name , ironically referring to its poisonous properties. The specific epithet means of Japan. |
| Euphorbia tirucalli | Euphorbia tirucalli is an unarmed shrub or small tree 4-12 (-15) m high with brittle succulent branchlets 7 mm thick often produced in whorls, green and longitudinally finely striated, with white to yellowish latex. Leaves few, fleshy, linear-lanceolate, to 15 x 2 mm, present only at the tips of young branchlets and very quickly deciduous; extreme tips of young leafy branchlets sparsely tomentose, with curled brown hairs, soon glabrescent; glandular stipules minute, dark brown. Cymes 2-6 congested at the apices of the branchlets, forking 2-4 times, with rays less than 1 mm long producing a dense cluster of cyathia developing only male flowers, or occasionally a few female flowers also present, or cyathia fewer and only female flowers developing, the whole cyme may be glabrous or tomentose, with curled brown hairs, especially the involucres and lobes; bracts rounded, 2 x 15 mm sharply keeled, usually glabrous except on the margin. False flowers (cyathia) subsessile, 3 x 4 mm, with cup-shaped involucres; glands 5, subglobose to transversely elliptic, 0.5 mm long. Male involucres: bracteoles linear with plumose apices; stamens 4.5 mm long; an aborted female flower is occasionally present. Female involucres: bracteoles present and occasionally a few male flowers; perianth distinctly 3-lobed below the tomentose ovary, with lobes 0.5 mm long; styles 2 mm long, joined at the base, with thickened deeply bifid recurved apices. Fruit a glabrescent capsule, exserted on a tomentose pedicel to 1 cm long, subglobose, 8 x 8.5 mm. Seeds ovoid, 3.5 x 2.8 mm, smooth, buff speckled with brown and with a dark brown ventral line; caruncle 1 mm across. The generic name commemorates Euphorbos the Numidian (N.E. Algeria) physician of King Juba of Mauretania c.54 B.C. The name tirucalli is a native name from Malabar in India. |
| Gliricidia sepium | Gliricidia sepium grows to a height of 2-15 m, has a medium crown and may be single or multistemmed. The bark colour is variable but is mainly greyish-brown, and it can be much fissured. The tree has deep roots when mature. Leaves are alternate and pinnate with (min. 7) 13-21 (max. 25) leaflets, papery, oblong with a distinctive pointed tip. Leaflet size increases towards the distal end of the leaf. At maturity, the upper surface ranges from smooth and hairless to bristly and usually has no tanniniferous patches. The lower surface can also be smooth and hairless or bristly but commonly has purplish tanniniferous patches concentrated toward the centre of the lamina. Flowers arranged on conspicuously short, upward-curving to erect inflorescences, which are usually pink, fading to whitish-brown or pale purple with age. Pods explosively dehiscent, strongly laterally compressed and pale green or reddish-pink when unripe, turning pale yellow-brown when fully ripe. Seeds transversely oriented, lenticular, not constricted in the middle. Seeds uniformly light brown, turning dark brown with age; 3-10 seeds in a single pod. The generic name Gliricidia refers to “mouse killer” in Latin, and the species epithet is named from the Latin saepes meaning hedge. |
| Gnetum gnemon | Gnetum gnemon is a shade tolerant, slender evergreen tree, up to 15 m tall. Usually branching in whorls from the base and deeply rooted with a strong tap root system. G. gnemon does not develop buttresses, the trunk is most recognisable with regular swollen rings around the girth, marking the position of old branches. Leaves broad (10-20 cm), opposite, dark green, shiny, elliptic with netted veins. Flowers are monosexual; in catkin-like formations; the male flower consists of a stamen and perianth ;female flowers, 5-8 at each node have an ovule with two integuments and a perianth. Fruits ellipsoid usually in clusters,1-3.5 cm long and half as wide, turning yellow to orange-red then purple at maturity. G. gnemon exists in several varieties, such as the tree form (var. gnemon) and the shrub forms (vars. Brunonianum, griffithii and tenerum). |
| Grewia asiatica | Grewia asiatica is a small deciduous tree or large straggling shrub, up to 4.5 m tall; bark rough, grey; branches long, slender, drooping, young ones densely coated with stellate hairs. Leaves are alternate, simple, deciduous, broadly cordate to ovate, rather variable, up to 20 x 16 cm, base oblique, apex acute to acuminate, margins coarsely toothed, pubescent above, densely tomentose beneath, 5 principle nerves palmate, petiole up to 1.5 cm long. Inflorescence in 3-5 flowered axillary cymes, clustered in groups of 2-8, 16-25 cm long. Receptacle 3 mm long, hairy in the upper half. Sepals 5, oblong, 1-5 cm, almost glabrous inside, 3-5-nerved. Petals 5, yellow, 6-7 mm long, equalling the androecium, with a raised gland 2 mm long, glabrous, with reticulate nervation. Fruit a globose drupe. 1.8-2.2 cm in diameter, indistinctly lobed, red or purple, finely warty and with stellate hairs; flesh, soft, fibrous, greenish-white stained with purplish-red, tasting pleasantly acid. Seeds 1-2, hemispherical, 5 mm wide. The genus was named after Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712), one of the founders of plant physiology. |
| Grewia tenax | Grewia tenax is a multistemmed shrub up to 2 m tall, usually rounded but generally battered and untidy due to browsing. Bark smooth, grey, very fibrous so that twigs are hard to break. Leaves alternate, almost circular in outline, 1.5-4 cm in diameter, margins toothed and prominently tri-nerved at the base, often hairy, particularly beneath with star shaped hairs. Stipules inconspicuous, falling early. Flowers solitary or in pairs, axillarily placed, petals white, about 1 cm long; sepals long and recurved. Fruit orange-red at maturity, with 1-4 spheroid lobes. Grewia tembensis and G. tenax are virtually indistinguishable in fruit. The specific epithet refers to the plant’s tenacious growth habit. The genus was named after Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712), one of the founders of plant physiology. |
| Grewia villosa | Grewia villosa is a deciduous shrub to about 3 m with very distinctive leaves, young parts covered with pale silky hairs (villosa). Leaves almost round, to 12 cm across, opposite, on stalks to 4 cm; paler and more hairy below, 5 prominent veins. Flowers yellow-red-brown, in small clusters. Fruit soft and hairy when ripe, red brown, about 1 cm across, 1-2 seeds within each nut. The genus was named after Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712), one of the founders of plant physiology. The specific name is latin, meaning bearing long weak hairs. |
| Harungana madagascariensis | Harungana madagascariensis is a small to medium sized bushy tree 4-7 m in height, sometimes reaching 10-25 m; it is much branched with a cylindrical trunk. Crown is golden-green, deep and spreading with fine almost whorled branches. Bole is often rather angular and forked. Bark greyish or red-brown rather rough and scaly, frequently vertically fissured, with very small vertically arranged scales which flake off easily; slash bright orange, thin, rather wet and turgid, but will peel off in long strips, and when cut, brilliant, almost florescent orange latex flows abundantly and by it, the tree can be recognized immediately. This orange paint-like sap exudes if leaves are snapped off or if branches are broken. Most parts of the tree are covered with fine stellate hairs. Leaves opposite, simple, ovate or ovate elliptic, 6-20 x 3-10 cm, glossy, dark green above with prominent veining, the under surface with dense rusty hairs which may be partially lost by maturity but usually persist, and rather numerous lateral nerves, which are prominent beneath; young leaves at the ends of branches are distinctive and remain tightly pressed together until quite large, the brown lower surfaces quite characteristic; apex tapering; base broadly tapering to rounded; margin entire; petiole 1.5-3 cm long. Flowers whitish or cream, about 5 mm in diameter, sweetly almond scented, in dense many-flowered flat terminal heads (corymbose panicles), 8-20 cm in diameter, the stalks and calyx covered with short rusty hairs, bisexual; 5-merous; sepals glandular; petals with hairs on the inside and black gland dots; stamens in 5 clusters, each cluster made up of a few stamens joined for most of their length, with a sterile cluster, or a facsiclode between each fertile cluster; ovary 5-chambered. Fruits berry-like (drupe), 2-4 mm in diameter, greenish-orange becoming red when mature, in heavy, massed, terminal heads up to 25-30 cm in diameter, rather dry, with a crustaceous pericarp enclosing the 5 pyrenes, 2-4 seeded. |
| Hibiscus sabdariffa | Hibiscus sabdariffa is an erect, mostly branched, annual shrub. Stem reddish in colour and up to 3.5 m tall, with a deep penetrating taproot. Leaves variously colored, dark green to red; leaves alternate, glabrous, long-petiolate, palmately divided into 3-7 lobes, with serrate margins. Flowers large, short-peduncled, red to yellow with dark center. The accrescent large and fleshy sepals become enlarged and succulent, making excellent jelly. Capsules ovoid, beaked and hairy 5 cm long, 5.3 cm wide. Several cultivars are known, the best known are: 'Victor', 'Rico' and 'Archer'. Of the botanical varieties: var. sabdariffa, has red or pale yellow inflated edible calyces, but poor fiber; var. altissima is grown for its fiber, but has inedible calyces. There is a green form known as the white sorrel, with greenish-white fruits. |
| Hymenocardia acida | Hymenocardia acida is a small savannah tree or shrub about 9 m high. Branchlets become rusty brown as the bark peels. The bole is short, often flattened and usually crooked. The branches form a fairly heavy, somewhat rounded crown. Bark smooth or flaky, pinkish-brown when fresh but becoming pale brown or grey later. Leaves thin, leathery, elliptic-oblong up to 8.75 cm long and 3.75 cm broad, apex obtuse to rounded, base obtuse; petiole slender, up to 1.8 cm long. Leaves usually pubescent when young with a dense mat of fine hairs and with golden glands beneath. Flowers unisexual, male flowers reddish-yellow occurring in clusters of spikes up to 6.5 cm long; calyx cupular, red, anthers creamy white. Female flowers green, placed on axils of leafy lateral branches and bearing a prominent crimson stigma spreading about 1.25 cm. Fruit compressed, obcordate and reddish-brown, 2.5 cm long and 2.5-3.75 cm broad. Developing in pairs along one edge, each with a thin pale brown nearly square wing. Seed flattened, glossy brown. The generic name Hymenocardia is derived from the Greek words ‘hymen’ - membrane and ‘kardia ’- heart, in reference to the heart-shaped fruits which have a transparent covering membrane (hymen). The specific epithet acida describes the sour taste of its fruits. Some authors consider the genus under the family Hymenocardiaceae. |
| Inga edulis | Inga edulis mature trees reach 30 m high and 60 cm diameter at breast height, usually branching from below 3 m. The branches form a broad, flat, moderately dense canopy. The bark is pale grey and smooth with pale elongated lenticels. The young twigs are angular in cross-section and covered with fine short hairs. Leaves, once-pinnate, up to 24 cm long, with 4-6 pairs of opposite leaflets. The terminal pair of leaflets is larger than the basal pair and can be up to 18 cm long and 11 cm wide. Between each leaflet there is a nectary gland on the leaf rachis. The seedlings have a characteristic greyish sheen on the upper leaf surface. Inflorescence in dense axillary spikes of flowers, each consisting of a calyx tube with 5 lobes, a corolla tube with 5 lobes, and a large number of white stamens up to 4.5 cm long, united in a tube in the lower half. Fruits ribbed, cylindrical pods, straight or often spirally twisted, up to 1 m long. They contain fleshy green seeds in a sweet, white, cottony pulp. They are produced during the wet season, and monkeys and birds eat the sweet pulp and scatter the soft seeds. The name ‘inga’ is derived from its name with the Tupi Indians of South America. The specific name, ‘edulis’, means edible. |
| Lawsonia inermis | Lawsonia inermis is a much-branched glabrous shrub or small tree 2-6 m in height, which may be spiny. Bark greyish-brown, unarmed when young, older plants with spine-tipped branchlets. Young branches quadrangular, green but turn red with age. Leaves opposite, entire, subsessile, elliptic to broadly lanceolate, 1.5-5 x 0.5-2 cm, glabrous, acuminate; veins on the upper surface depressed. Flowers small, white, numerous; in large pyramidal terminal cymes, fragrant, 1 cm across, 4 petals crumpled in the bud. Calyx with 2-mm tube and 3-mm spread lobes; petals orbicular to obovate, white or red; stamens 8, inserted in pairs on the rim of the calyx tube; ovary 4 celled, style up to 5 mm long, erect. Fruits small, brown, globose capsules 4-8 mm in diameter, many-seeded, opening irregularly, split into 4 sections, with a persistent style. Seeds 3 mm across, angular, with thick seed coat. The specific epithet means unarmed or without spines. |
| Leucaena esculenta | Leucaena esculenta is a deciduous, small to medium-sized tree 10-15 m tall, 20-70 cm bole diameter, typically multi-stemmed and branchy when young, older trees with a short clear bole to 5 m, heavy spreading branches and an open spreading rounded crown. Bark thick, corky, pale silvery grey, with a metallic sheen like galvanized zinc, smooth, becoming horizontally gnarled; slash bright green then orange-red, shoots angular with 5-6 longitudinal corky ridges. Leaves bipinnate, 30-40 pairs of pinnae, leaflets 3.5-6.6 mm long by 0.9-1 mm wide, 60-75 pairs per pinna, asymmetric, linear, acute or subacute, glabrous. Petiole gland large, maroon-red, sessile, elliptic, shallowly concave 5.5-8 by 3-4 mm. Flower head 25-28 mm in diameter, 150-170 flowers per head, in groups of 2-7 at nodes on often one-branched terminal determinate shoots with complete or partial suppression of leaf development, flowers white. Pods 15-25 cm long, 23-26 mm wide, 1-2 per flower head, oblong to oblong linear, flat, (few) 15-20 seeded, glossy reddish maroon unripe, turning mid orange-brown when ripe, glabrous, opening along both sides. Seed 9-11 mm long, 7-9 mm wide, circular to ovoid, aligned transversely in pods. The specific epithet means edible. |
| Leucaena leucocephala | Leucaena leucocephala is a small, variably shrubby and highly branched (ssp. leucocephala) to medium-sized tree with a short, clear bole to 5 m, upright angular branching and a narrow open crown (ssp. glabrata), 3-15 (max. 20) m tall, bole diameter 10-50 cm. Bark on young branches smooth, grey-brown, slash salmon pink, darker grey-brown and rougher with shallow, rusty orange-brown vertical fissures and deep red inner bark on older branches and bole. This evergreen plant is deep rooted. It often has a combination of flowers, immature and mature pods all present on the tree at the same time. Leaves with (min. 4) 6-9 pairs pinnae; pinnular rachis 5-10.2 cm long, leaflets 9-16 (max. 21) mm long, 2-4.5 mm wide, 13-21 pairs per pinna, slightly asymmetric, linear-oblong to weakly elliptic, acute at tip, rounded to obtuse at base, glabrous except on margins. Leaves and leaflets fold up with heat, cold or lack of water. Flower heads 12-21 mm in diameter, 100-180 flowers per head, in groups of 2-6 in leaf axils, arising on actively growing young shoots, flowers white or pale cream-white. Pods (min. 9) 11-19 cm long, (min. 13) 15-21 mm wide, (min. 3) 5-20 (max. 45) per flower head, linear-oblong, acute or rounded at apex, flat, 8-18 seeded, mid- to orange-brown, glabrous and slightly lustrous or densely covered in white velvety hairs, papery, opening along both margins. Seeds hard, dark brown with a hard, shining testa, 6.7-9.6 mm long, 4-6.3 mm wide, aligned transversely in pod. The specific name ‘leucocephala’ comes from ‘leu’, meaning white, and ‘cephala’, meaning head, referring to the flowers. There are 3 recognized subspecies: ssp. leucocephala, ssp. glabrata (Rose) S. Zárate, and ssp. ixtahuacana C. E. Hughes. |
| Leucaena pallida | Leucaena pallida is a small deciduous multiple-stemmed tree 3-7 m tall although occasionally to 10 m tall and a bole diameter of 10-15 (-30) cm, with an open, spreading or narrow crown. Bark smooth, metallic-grey, blotched lighter grey with horizontally aligned pale brown lenticels, slash greenish. Leaves have 15-27 pairs of pinnae, pinnular rachis 8-11 cm long, sparsely hairy, leaflets 6-8(-10) mm long, 1-2 mm wide, 39-50 pairs per pinna, asymmetric truncate at base, linear or oblong, acuminate at apex. Petiole gland unstalked, shallow crater-shaped, elliptical, 3-4 mm long by 2-3 mm wide. Flower head 14-16 mm in diameter, 95-110 flowers per head, in groups of 3-5 in leaf axils on actively growing shoots, sometimes with suppression of leaves on the flowering shoot, flowers appear pale pink or dull purplish mauve. Pods 12-19 cm long, 14-18 mm wide, 3-5 per flower head, linear, slightly thickened and leathery, glossy maroon when unripe, turning reddish-brown, glabrous or occasionally hairy. Seed 5-7 mm wide, 6-8 mm long, slightly rhombic aligned transversely in pods. The specific epithet means pale in reference to the flowers. |
| Leucaena salvadorensis | Leucaena salvadorensis forms a small- to medium-sized thornless tree, 10-15 m tall with a dbh of 20-50 cm. Occasionally, mature trees can reach 20 m in height and 70-100 cm in diameter. Trees are typically branchy when young but may have a short, clear bole to 5 m in height when older. The upright angular branches form a narrow, open crown. Bark on young trees is smooth, mid-metallic grey or grey-brown; inner bark salmon pink, becoming darker grey-brown, rougher with shallower vertical fissures with age; the inner bark becomes deep red. Leaves bipinnate, 20-25 cm long and 19-26 cm wide with a short petiole 19-25 cm long; strongly discolorous; a mid-green or orange gland, 5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, below the basal pair of pinnae. Small glands occur at the base of the leaf rachis. There are 4-7 pairs of pinnae per leaf and 23-27 pairs of leaflets per pinna. The leaflets are 15-19 mm long and 3-4 mm wide with asymmetric venation. Flowers occur in white globose heads arising in the developing leaf axils. Individual flowers small and subtended by the small peltate bracts. The only visible flower parts are the stamen filaments, anthers and white styles. Typically, the styles extend beyond the anthers, giving the flower heads a stellar appearance. The hidden calyx is pale greenish-cream, tinged yellow on the lobe tips and 3-3.5 mm long. The corolla has 5 glabrous, pale yellow-green petals, 4-5 mm long, free to the base; the ovary with 16 ovules is 2 mm long, reddish and covered with whitish hairs around the upper end. Pod sturdier and more leathery than those of other Leucaena pods when ripe, greenish or reddish-green when immature, turning mid-chestnut brown when ripe and dehiscing along both margins. Typically, there are only 1-2 pods per flower head, borne on stout woody stipes 7-10 mm long. Pods 15-18 cm long and 27-30 mm wide with a slightly thickened margin, 10-15 seeds per pod. The seeds are large (8-12 mm x 5-6 mm), compressed, chestnut brown and glossy with a visible pleurogram. The specific epithet means of El Salvadore. |
| Manihot glaziovii | Manihot glaziovii is a glabrous shrub or tree to 6 m high, occasionally taller (10-20 m), often with several weak branches from near the base. Bark papery, peeling, dark reddish brown. Young shoots glaucous. Leaves deeply palmipartite, 3-5 lobed, peltate. Cordate, membranous-chartaceous, lobes broadly ovate to obovate, (4-)7-12(-15) cm long, (2-)4-8(-10) wide, entire. Green above, glaucous beneath, petiole to 25 cm long, often tinged reddish. Stipules lanceolate 5 mm long, entire, decidous. Inflorescence paniculate, to 12 cm long, bracts resembling the stipules. Male flowers 7-9 mm long, female flowers 0.8-1.4 cm long extending to 2-3 cm in fruit. Fruit globose 1.9-2 cm by 1.9-2.2 cm, smooth, muricate-tuberculate, endocarp woody. |
| Mimosa pigra | Mimosa pigra is a prickly mimosoid shrub. Stems are branched, 2-6 m long, with dense growth. The stem has 5 ridges from which spines and bristles arise. Leaves about 20 cm long and pinnate; 7-16 pairs pinnae, each pinna composed of 25-40 linear pinnules. Petioles and leaves spiny and hispid. The leaves are not as sensitive to physical stimulation as those of some other Mimosa spp. Many globose inflorescences arise from the end of the stem and from leaf axils. Pale reddish-purple stamens conspicuous in the florets. Pods compressed, 5-10 cm long, about 2 cm wide and densely hispid. The generic name ‘mimosa’ is from the Greek meaning to imitate or mimic. This refers to some species of the genus that may appear to imitate animals because the sensitive leaflets move and fold up when touched. |
| Moringa oleifera | Moringa oleifera is a small, graceful, deciduous tree with sparse foliage, often resembling a leguminous species at a distance, especially when in flower, but immediately recognized when in fruit. The tree grows to 8 m high and 60 cm dbh. Bole crooked, often forked from near the base. Bark smooth, dark grey; slash thin, yellowish. Twigs and shoots shortly but densely hairy. Crown wide, open, typically umbrella shaped and usually a single stem; often deep rooted. The wood is soft. Leaves alternate, the old ones soon falling off; each leaf large (up to about 90 cm long), with opposite pinnae, spaced about 5 cm apart up the central stalk, usually with a 2nd lot of pinnae, also opposite, bearing leaflets in opposite pairs, with a slightly larger terminal leaflet. Leaflets dark green above and pale on the under surface; variable in size and shape, but often rounded-elliptic, seldom as much as 2.5 cm long. Flowers produced throughout the year, in loose axillary panicles up to 15 cm long; individual flower stalks up to 12 mm long and very slender; 5 pale green sepals 12 mm long, finely hairy, 5 white petals, unequal, a little longer than the sepals; 5 stamens with anthers, 5 without; style slender, flowers very sweet smelling. Fruit large and distinctive, up to 90 cm long and 12 mm broad, slightly constricted at intervals, gradually tapering to a point, 3- (4-) angled, with 2 grooves on each face, light brown. It splits along each angle to expose the rows of rounded blackish oily seeds, each with 3 papery wings. The generic name comes from the Sinhalese name ‘morunga’. |
| Moringa stenopetala | Moringa stenopetala is a tree 6-12 m tall having a diameter of 60cm (DBH) and a smooth bark; its crown is strongly branched, sometimes with several trunks, and its wood is soft. The leaves are bi- or tri-pinnate, with about 5 pairs of pinnae and 3-9 elliptic to ovate leaflets per pinna. The flowers are very fragrant with cream flushed pink sepals, white, pale yellow or yellow-green petals, white filaments and yellow anthers. The ovary is ovoid and densely hairy. Pods are elongate reddish with greyish bloom having grooved valves. |
| Olneya tesota | Olneya tesota is a conspicuous small tree up to 10 m in height, commonly with several trunks. The trunks can attain a diameter up to 60 cm on very old individuals. Young twigs up to 10 or 15 mm thick, green. Bark grey and smooth, fissured and shredding on older trunks. Sharp, paired spines, 3-11 mm long at nodes. Leaves simple, pinnately compound up to 6-cm long; leaflets 6-20 greyish-green in colour, 7-20 mm long. Ten or fewer pairs of leaflets to 1 cm long; spines at base of leaves, paired, slightly curved, 0.6 cm long, and usually brown-tipped. Foliage evergreen to semi-deciduous. Flowers pink to lavender, papilionaceous; 15 mm long, appearing in short, dense racemes or panicles in late spring. Mature pods dehiscent, several seeded. Seeds 5-6 mm in diameter. The genus Olneya is monospecific and can be easily mistaken for Palo Verde (Cercidium spp.) but has a greyer color and lacks the distinctive yellow flowers in spring. |
| Parkinsonia aculeata | Parkinsonia aculeata is a small, spiny tree 4-10 m high, with a short and often crooked trunk up to 40 cm in diameter, often branching near the ground with a very open crown of spreading branches and very thin drooping foliage; green throughout the year, although appears leafless after leaflets fall; bark of trunk, branches and twigs smooth, yellow-green or blue-green and slightly bitter; twigs slender, slightly zigzag, finely hairy when young, often with spines, 3 or 1 remaining at nodes, including 2 short spines. Leaves specialized, alternate, bipinnately compound, consisting of very short axis ending in spine 1-2 cm long, and 1 or 2 pairs of long, yellow-green drooping side axes, strips or streamers 20-30 cm long and 3 mm broad, flat and slightly thickened; each strip with 20-30 pairs of thin, oblong, green, small leaflets 3-5 mm long, which shed early; strips resembling a blade of grass continue functioning as leaves after leaflets fall. Flower clusters 7.5-20 cm long at leaf bases, unbranched; flowers several on long, slender stalks, irregular and slightly pea shaped, fragrant, showy, golden yellow, 2 cm or more across; calyx a short tube with 5 narrow yellow-brown lobes turned back; corolla of 5 nearly round petals 10-13 mm long, yellow tinged with orange and hairy at base; upper petal slightly larger, red spotted and turning with withering; 10 green stamens with brown anthers; reddish tinged pistil with hairy, 1-celled ovary and slender style. Pods nearly cylindrical, 5-10 cm long, 6 mm or more in diameter, narrowed between seeds, long pointed; seeds 1-5, beanlike, oblong, 1 cm long, dark brown; flowers and pods all year. The genus name Parkinsonia honours John Parkinson (1567-1650), a British botanist. The specific name means ‘with spines or prickles’. ‘Jerusalem’ in this and other plant names does not refer to the city in Israel but is a corruption from Italian of ‘girasol’, meaning ‘turning towards the sun’. |
| Platycladus orientalis | Platycladus orientalis is a large, evergreen shrub or small to medium-sized tree rarely exceeding 20 m in nature, in cultivation it often forms multiple stems; habit dense, usually broadly conical with ascending branches from bare stems; old trees in China often wide-crowned with spreading branches, occasionally it forms a monopodial tree, assuming a columnar habit; bark thin, reddish-brown, exfoliating in thin longitudinal strips with age; branches erect or spreading, with the foliage held in vertically aligned sprays pointing upwards. Leaves light green or yellow-green, becoming brown after 3 or 4 seasons, persistent, scale-like, in opposite-decussate pairs, have no glands. Pollen cones terminal, small (2-3 mm long), seed cones 20-25 mm long, 10-18 mm wide when closed, glaucous green at first, turning reddish brown, usually have 6-8 fleshy scales in an opposite-decussate arrangement, with a deeply recurved dorsal hook below the tip of each scale; this protuberance is the apical part of the bract, around which the fleshy scale develops after the ovules are fertilized, to nearly engulf the bract; scales glaucous when growing, maturing and ripening to bright brown; lower 4 scales fertile with 2(-3) seeds occurring adaxially near the base of the lowest pair, only one on the upper pair. Seeds 5-7 mm long, 3-4 mm diameter, more or less ovate, wingless. This is a monotypic genus; the generic name comes from the Greek word platyclados (with a broad stem). The Greek word results in two English words plate and clad which conjures up the image of plates arranged in a rack as the tree’s foliage appears when viewed from afar. The peculiar arrangement of upright branchlets and flattened lateral twigs gives this tree its unusual leafing habit and explains the origin of its common name (book-leaf pine). The specific epithet means eastern. |
| Psidium guajava | Psidium guajava is a large dicotyledonous shrub, or small evergreen tree, generally 3-10 m high, many branches; stems crooked, bark light to reddish brown, thin, smooth, continuously flaking; root system generally superficial and very extensive, frequently extending well beyond the canopy, there are some deep roots but no distinct taproot. Leaves opposite, simple; stipules absent, petiole short, 3-10 mm long; blade oblong to elliptic, 5-15 x 4-6 cm, apex obtuse to bluntly acuminate, base rounded to subcuneate, margins entire, somewhat thick and leathery, dull grey to yellow-green above, slightly downy below, veins prominent, gland dotted. Inflorescence, axillary, 1- to 3-flowered, pedicles about 2 cm long, bracts 2, linear. Calyx splitting irregularly into 2-4 lobes, whitish and sparsely hairy within; petals 4-5, white, linear-ovate c. 2 cm long, delicate; stamens numerous, filaments pale white, about 12 mm long, erect or spreading, anther straw coloured; ovary inferior, ovules numerous, style about 10 cm long, stigma green, capitate. Fruit an ovoid or pear-shaped berry, 4-12 cm long, weighing up to 500 g; skin yellow when ripe, sometimes flushed with red; pulp juicy, creamy-white or creamy-yellow to pink or red; mesocarp thick, edible, the soft pulp enveloping numerous, cream to brown, kidney-shaped or flattened seeds. The exterior of the fruit is fleshy, and the centre consists of a seedy pulp. From the Greek psidion (pomegranate), due to a fancied resemblance between the two fruits. |
| Pterocarpus rotundifolius | Pterocarpus rotundifolius is a multi-stemmed deciduous tree up to 20 m in height. Crown open and roundish, branching from reasonably low down. Bark brownish-grey. Leaves compound, leaflets 1-3 pairs and a terminal leaflet, glossy, pale green. Nerves conspicuously parallel. Glabrous above and puberulous below. Leaf stalk 3-5 cm long and covered with velvety hairs. Flowers fragrant, abundant, in terminal inflorescences, 15 cm long; petals yellow, crinkly. Fruit a reddish brown indehiscent pod. Pterocarpus is based on the Greek words ‘pteran’ meaning a wing and, ‘karpos’ meaning’ fruit. The specific epithet “rotundifolius” describes its round or circular leaflets. |
| Punica granatum | Punica granatum is a small multi-stemmed shrub/tree 5-10 m tall. Canopy open, crown base low. Stem woody and spiny, bark smooth and dark grey. Leaves simple, 2-8 cm long, oblong or obovate, glabrous, oppositely placed, short-petioled surface shining. Flowers regular, solitary or in fascicles at apices, 4-6 cm. Petals lanceolate, 5-7, wrinkled and brilliant orange-red. Hypanthium coloured, 5-8 lobed. Anthers numerous. Calyx persistent. Fruit a round berry, 5-12 cm, pericarp leathery. Interior compartmentalized with many pink-red sections of pulp-like tissue, each contains a seed grain. Fruits globose with persistent callipe and a coriaceous woody rind. Seeds numerous, angular with fleshy testa, 1.3 cm long. Two subspecies are recognized on basis of ovary colour; subsp. chlorocarpa and porphyrocarpa. Numerous cultivars, some dating to the 13th Century, are known. The specific epithet granatum derives from Latin granum "grain" and means "many-grained". Only two species, P. granatum and P. protopunica, are known for this monogeneric family with close affiliations to the Lythraceae. P. protopunica is endemic to Socotra and is listed as an endangered plant in the IUCN Red List. |
| Salix babylonica | Salix babylonica is a deciduous, short-lived tree to 20 m tall and d.b.h. of 60-80 cm. Stem furrowed, usually dividing near the ground, crown open, branches pendulous. Bark grey-black. Leaves lanceolate to linear lanceolate, 9-16 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, margins finely serrate, slightly shiny, dark green above, grey-green with distinctly reticulate venation beneath. Leaf stalk 5-10 mm long, pubescent. Flowers in short, terminal catkins on leafy peduncles. Male catkin is 1.8-3 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide. Female catkin 1.5-2.5 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, appearing with leaves in April-May. Fruit a yellowish-brown capsule, narrowly conic to 3-4 mm long, glabrous. |
| Santalum spicatum | Santalum spicatum is typically an erect small tree or shrub, 3-8 m tall and 0.1 -0.3 m diameter. The tree crown is greyish in appearance and rather umbrageous. The bark is rough, fibrous and furrowed on the lower parts of the tree but the upper limbs are grey or blue and smooth. Cotyledon leaves linear, about 1.3 x 0.2 cm, blunt ended. In seedlings, leaves opposite to sub opposite, shortly petiolate, lanceolate, to 3 x 1 cm, with a small bulbous portion near the stem base. In the adult the leaves assume an erect position and are oppositely placed, 3-6 x 1-2 cm, dull grey- green, coriaceous. Petioles to 0.5 cm. The leaves in the crown are somewhat sparse. Flowers, small, bisexual, green-red colored. Each flower is subtended by a small caducous bract. Perianth in four fleshy segments each bearing a tuft of hairs behind the stamens. Anthers 2-celled, filaments short and incurved. Ovary inferior with a short bilobed stigma, torus short turbinate, almost entirely adnate to the ovary. Style with 2-3 stigmas, with 4 tepals, but sometimes 5 or 6. Stamens attached near the base of each tepal. Fruits are short peduncled drupes 2 cm in diameter, orange-red when ripe. The perianth and disc persist until the fruit is nearly ripe. The fruit exocarp leathery and endocarp smooth surfaced. The genus Santalum contains approximately 25 species, the generic name Santalum is derived from the Greek santalon (taken from the Arabic word for sandal). The specific epithet spicatum, is from the Latin spica, in allusion to the spike-like form of the leaves or inflorescence. |
| Sarcocephalus latifolius | Sarcocephalus latifolius is a multi-stemmed tree or shrub up to 12 m. It has an open canopy. Flowers with terminal spherical head-like cymes of small whitish flowers. In Nauclea, the flowers are joined by their calyces. The fruit is a syncarp. The tribe Naucleae to which S. latifolius belongs shows similarities to the family Combretaceae. Some authors have seperated the tribe into a new family Naucleceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek words sarco (fleshy) and cephalus (headed) in reference to the flowers. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words lati (broad) and folius (leaved). |
| Senna didymobotrya | Senna didymobotrya is usually a several-stemmed shrub or small tree, 0.5-5(-9) m tall. Branches terete, striate, pubescent to villous, rarely subglabrous. Leaves simply paripinnate, narrowly oblong-elliptical in outline, 10-50 cm long; stipules broadly ovate-cordate, 6-17 mm x 8-10 mm, acuminate, palmately veined, reflexed, tardily caducous; petiole terete, 1-8 cm long, rachis up to 40 cm long, both pubescent and eglandular; petiolules up to 3 mm long; leaflets in 8-18 pairs, chartaceous, elliptical-oblong, 2-6.5 cm x 0.5-2.5 cm, 2-3 times longer than wide, base oblique, apex rounded but mucronate, pubescent to glabrescent, marginal vein distinct. Inflorescence an erect, axillary, 20-30 flowered, spike-like raceme, 10-50 cm long; peduncle terete, 5-8 cm long, pubescent; bracts broadly ovate, 8-27 mm x 5-15 mm, black green, at first imbricate and enclosing the flower buds; bracteoles absent; pedicel slender, 3-10 mm long, densely pubescent; sepals 5, subequal, oblong-obovate, 9-14 mm long, puberulous, green; petals 5, slightly unequal, at first incurved, later on more spreading, ovate to obovate, 17-27 mm x 10-16 mm, with a slender, about 1 mm long claw, glabrous, bright yellow, delicately veined; stamens 10, filaments shorter than anthers, anthers of 2 lower stamens 9-11 mm long, 3 upper stamens staminodial, anthers of 5 median stamens about 5 mm long; ovary and stipe velvety pubescent; style slender, glabrous, recurved, about 1 cm long; stigma punctiform. Fruit a flat, 9-16 seeded pod, linear-oblong, 7-12 cm x 1.5-2.5 cm, glabrescent, short beaked, dehiscent or indehiscent when dry, depressed between the seeds, sutures raised, blackish-brown. Seed flattened, oblongoid, apiculate, 8-9 mm x 4-5 mm x 2.5 mm, smooth, pale brown; areole elliptical, 3-4 mm x 0.7-1.5 mm. In the older literature, this species is best known as Cassia didymobotrya. Until the beginning of the 1980s, Cassia L. was considered to be a genus with over 500 species. |
| Sesbania macrantha | Sesbania macrantha is a soft woody, slender shrub or small tree, 2-6 m tall; glabrous throughout except for the calyx margin and inner surface of the calyx teeth; a few hairs on the stipules and often on the rachis and leaflet margins of juvenile leaves; stems greyish-green, tinged purplish-black, aculeate or completely without prickles; stem of S. macrantha var. macrantha has prickles, but stem of S. macrantha var. levis does not. Leaves 10-33 cm long; rachis aculeate or not; petioles 0.5-2.9 cm long; leaflets in 15-55 pairs, 14-31 x 3-8 mm, oblong, obtuse to slightly emarginate at apex, apiculate, slightly asymmetrical at the base, entire; stipule 14-25 x 3-5 mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, slightly falcate, erect, early deciduous or occasionally rather persistent. Raceme 11-26.5 cm long, flowers 6-20; peduncle 3-9 cm long, aculeate or completely without prickles; pedicles 9-22 mm long; bracts 5-10 mm long, linear to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, early deciduous; bracteoles 3-7 mm long, linear, early deciduous; calyx 5-12 x 6-10 mm, the teeth 1-2 mm long, broadly acuminate. Pods 14-31 cm long, 3.5-6.5 mm wide, curved, long acuminate, thicker at the centre than at the sutures (which are sometimes slightly constricted between the seeds, particularly along the upper margin); the sutures of younger fruits drying green in contrast to the brown area; the septa 9-12 mm apart; pod 12-30 seeded; seeds dark olive-brown to almost black, not mottled, 6-8 x 2.5-3.5 mm, 2-3 mm thick, sub-cylindrical to cylindrical, hilium in central circular pit surrounded by a white rimmed-aril. The specific epithet means large flowered in Greek. |
| Ximenia americana | Ximenia americana is a semi-scandent bush-forming shrub or small tree 2-7 m high. Trunk diameter seldom greater than 10 cm; bark dark brown to pale grey, smooth to scaly. The lax, usually divergent branching forms a rounded or conical crown. Branchlets purple-red with a waxy bloom and the tree usually armed with straight slender spines. Sometimes semi-parasitic with haustoria on the roots. Leaves alternate, lanceolate to elliptic, 3-8 to 1.5-4 cm, variable thickness (semi-succulent to thin); obtuse or emarginate, 3-7 pairs veins, inconspicuous. Petioles short, slender, up to 6 mm long, canaliculate. Grey-green, hairless and leathery or thin flesh. When crushed, young leaves smell of bitter almonds. The fragrant white, yellow-green or pink flowers occur in branched inflorescences borne on shortly pedunculate axillary racemes or umbels; pedicles 3-7 mm long, both peduncles or pedicles glabrous. Fruits globose to ellipsoidal drupes about 3 cm long, 2.5 cm thick, glabrous, greenish when young, becoming yellowish (or, rarely, orange-red) when ripe, containing a juicy pulp and 1 seed. Seed woody, light yellow, up to 1.5 cm long, 1.2 cm thick with a fatty kernel and a brittle shell. Ximenia was named after a Spanish monk, Francisco Ximeniz. The specific name is the Latin form of ‘American’. |
| Zizyphus spina-christi | Ziziphus spina-christi is a shrub, sometimes a tall tree, reaching a height of 20 m and a diameter of 60 cm; bark light-grey, very cracked, scaly; trunk twisted; very branched, crown thick; shoots whitish, flexible, drooping; thorns in pairs, one straight, the other curved. Leaves glabrous on upper surface, finely pubescent below, ovate-lanceolate or ellipsoid, apex acute or obtuse, margins almost entire, lateral veins conspicuous. Flowers in cymes, subsessile, peduncle 1-3 mm. Fruit about 1 cm in diameter. There are 2 varieties: var. spina-christi is a tree with white branches, leaves larger, ovate-lanceolate with an acute or obtuse apex, 2.5-8.5 cm long and 1-3.5 cm wide, margins slightly crenate, 3 strong veins from the base, lateral veins inconspicuous; flowers many per cyme, peduncle up to 1.5 cm; fruit 2 cm in diameter; var. microphylla Hochst ex A. Rich. is a very bushy shrub, leaves are widely ellipsoid or ovate-ellipsoid, rounded at the tip, 1-3 cm long and just as wide, margins almost entire, basal veins not reaching the apex, 1-2 strong lateral veins on each side of the central vein; branches brown-reddish; fruits up to 1 cm in diameter. The name ‘Ziziphus’ is often erroneously written as Zizyphus. The generic name is derived from the latinized version of the Arabic vernacular name ‘zizouf’ for Z. jujuba. The specific name is derived from its common name Christ thorn. |
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