Common Name: Umbrella Tree

General Information

Maesopsis eminii is a fast-growing, leafy, semi-deciduous tree with branches that are rather horizontal and a crown that is flattened when young, but becoming more rounded with age. It usually grows from 10 - 30 metres tall with exceptional specimens to 45 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for 10 - 18 metres, 100 - 180cm in diameter, and is usually unbuttressed but with short, blunt root swellings[, , ].
The trees are exploited in the wild as a commercial source of timber, the species is also often cultivated as a shade tree in plantations in various areas of the tropics[, ]. It is also commonly grown in home gardens and along roadsides to provide shade[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Liberia to Sudan, south through Congo to Zambia and Tanzania.

Habitat

Moist forests, widely distributed in forest regrowth and secondary regrowth, very commonly in the ecozone between high forest and savannah[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moist, mainly lowland tropical areas, growing best at elevations from 600 - 900 metres, but extending into submontane forest at elevations up to 1,800 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 16 - 36°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 1,200 - 3,000mm[]. It can tolerate a dry season of up to 4 months[].
Seedlings can survive under the forest canopy for a few months, however, to grow and reach canopy height, they require the light that comes from large canopy gaps[]. Tolerates a wide range of site conditions, including poor, light soils, but grows best on deep, moist and fertile sandy loam soils with a neutral to acid pH[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[].
The tree grows rapidly, especially when young, with 1 - 3 metres increase in height per year and 15 - 55mm in diameter[]. In Malaysia, it has reached a height of 20 metres in 6 years[].
Trees usually start flowering and fruiting when 4 - 5 years old[].
A remarkably long lived tree for a pioneer species, attaining an age of over 150 years[].
When young, the tree is naturally self-pruning, losing lower branches that can be up to 5cm in diameter at their base[]. Older trees lose this ability[].
Established plants can be coppiced successfully[].
Rotations in plantations are kept at 30 - 40 years, as older trees are often wind thrown[].
Rotations are about 8 years for fuel wood, poles and pulp production[].

Edible Uses

The seeds contain 40 - 50% of an edible oil, the main components of which are stearic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid[].

Medicinal

A strong purgative and diuretic can be made by soaking the bark in cold water[].
The root bark is beaten with clay and used to treat gonorrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree has been successfully used as a shade tree in coffee, tea, cocoa and cardamom plantations[, ].
An early successional species, adept at colonizing grasslands and disturbed areas in the high forest[]. A pioneer species that can aggressively colonize grassland (but not Imperata or Pennisetum grasses), it is used for reforestation purposes, especially in Zaire[, ].

Other Uses

The bark is used as a roofing material[].

The heartwood is a bright yellow-green or green-brown, turning to a golden brown upon exposure; it is clearly demarcated from the wide band of nearly white sapwood. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain typically interlocked, producing a ribbon figure; there is no characteristic odour or taste when dry; pin knots are sometimes present, rather knotty near the core. The wood is light, soft and moderately strong; it is not very durable, the heartwood being readily attacked by decay fungi and termites. It dries fairly rapidly with some warp but no surface or end checking; logs may split full length, though, in felling and storage. It saws and machines very easily and works well with hand tools; it planes to a smooth finish if knives are kept sharp; it must be supported when drilling and mortising; it has good gluing and nailing characteristics; is difficult to finish because of high absorbency. The wood is valued as a softwood substitute; it is used for purposes such as light construction, boxes and crates, millwork, plywood or core stock[, , ]. The plant is sometimes grown for pulp for paper making[].
Due to its fast growth, the tree is widely planted for fuel wood[]. It is not ideal for this, however, because its wood is too light[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as possible because it rapidly loses viability[]. To improve germination, seeds may be soaked in water for 1 - 2 days, or in concentrated sulphuric acid for 20 minutes[]. Even when treated, seed can take 4 months or more for 65 - 80% of the seed to germinate[]. Because the seedlings quickly form a taproot, it is usually recommended to sow the seed in polybags[]. If sown in seedbeds, the seedlings need to be potted up as soon as they are large enough to handle[]. Young plants can normally be planted out into their permanent positions when about 2 - 4 months old[].
Seed storage behaviour is orthodox; viability can be maintained for 1 year at cool temperatures with dry seeds; viability is maintained for several years in hermetic storage at 3°c with 4-9% mc[].

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