Local names:
English (brown mahogany), Luganda (nabugala)
Lovoa swynnertonii is an evergreen tree up to 50 m in height. Bole fluted or slightly buttressed at the base to a height of 2 m, long and straight, sometimes 30 m to first branch, slender, up to 2 m in diameter. Bark brown-grey to black, fairly smooth, flaking in round pieces 2-30 cm across. Leaves up to 30 cm long, pubescent when young; leaflets usually 10-16, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic, slightly falcate, up to 10 x 4 cm, apex shortly acuminate, base cuneate; lateral nerves in 16 closely spaced pairs; petiole flattened. Inflorescence an axillary panicle up to 10 cm long; calyx 0.1 cm long, puberulous especially on the margins. Petals 0.25-0.3 cm long. Capsule up to 5.5 x 2 cm; valves brownish black, with scattered, minute, white lenticels, separating first from the apex and remaining attached for some time before falling. Seeds, including wing, up to 4.5 x 1 cm. The generic name Lovoa is after River Lovoi in Congo.
Ecology
L. swynnertonii is commonly found in lowland and mid-altitude mixed rain forest between 180-1 525 m.
Native range
Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Tree management
The tree matures after 30 years.
The wind dispersed seeds are collected under mother trees. There are about 4 400 seeds/kg. Seeds require no pretreatment. Seeds should be stored in sealed containers in a cool place, addition of ash is recommended to reduce insect damage.
L. swynnertonii is commonly found in lowland and mid-altitude mixed rain forest between 180-1 525 m.
Brown mahogany is propagated mainly by seedlings and wildings.
Erosion control: This species is important in water catchment area protection.
The tree provides fuelwood.
Timber: The tree produces a beautiful dark brownish red timber, is cross-grained and difficult to work. The timber is generally marketed with L. trichiloides. In Zimbabawe it was formerly used for outdoor work.
Shade or shelter: The brown mahogany provides cool shading.
Intercropping: Because of the height of the tree, it is very suitable for intercropping as shade is cast over a large area and will not suppress the near crops or trees. It is therefore planted in pure stands or intercropped in banana, coffee and cacao plantations.