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Useful Tropical Plants

Cynometra alexandri

C.H.Wright

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Cynometra sankuruensis Vermoesen

Common Name:

Cynometra alexandri
Leaves
Photograph by: Scamperdale
Creative Commons License

General Information

Cynometra alexandri is an evergreen tree with a wide, flat-topped crown; it can grow from 10 - 50 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for 5 - 26 metres, though it can branch from low down; it is from 20 - 150cm in diameter and with extensive thin buttresses near the base that can be up to 8 metres long and several metres high[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
,
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood which is used locally and also traded. Known in the trade as 'Ugandan Ironwood', it is a heavy timber of some importance[
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
]. It is sometimes planted as an amenity tree to provide shade[
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.

Range

Tropical Africa - DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania.

Habitat

Rain forest on firm ground; usually gregarious; at elevations from 700 - 1,200 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height30.00 m
PollinatorsBees
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details



The flowers are sweetly scented[
1355
Title
Plants of the World online
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://powo.science.kew.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line database giving detailed descriptions of almost 40,000 species of plants (as of 2018), almost 25,000 images and a list of almost 850,000 plant names. A truly excellent resource and still growing.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used for soil conservation[
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
].

Other Uses

The heartwood is a dull reddish-brown with darker markings; it is clearly defined from the grayish sapwood, which turns pale yellow upon exposure. The texture is fine; the grain usually interlocked; without lustrr; sometimes figured. The wood is very heavy and hard, being very resistant to abrasion; the heartwood is rated as durable and highly resistant to termite attack. It dries slowly, with a tendency to surface and end checking, but with little warp. It is fairly difficult to work with hand and machine tools; has a rather severe blunting effect on cutters; turns very well; has moderate steam-bending properties. It is used for purposes such as industrial and heavy-duty flooring, heavy construction including marine work, railroad crossties, mining props, posts etc[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
,
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
,
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cynometra+alexandri>

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