Bridelia micrantha
| Bridelia micrantha | ||||||||||||
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Bridelia micrantha |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Bridelia micrantha | ||||||||||||
| ( Hochst. ) Baill. |
Bridelia micrantha is a tree in the Phyllanthaceae family from tropical central to southern Africa .
description
Vegetative characteristics
Bridelia micrantha is a fast-growing, (semi) deciduous tree with a dense crown that reaches a height of about 20 meters or more. The trunk diameter can reach 100 centimeters. The bark is grayish-brown and is rough, cracked and scaly with age. Occasionally small, blunt thorns can develop on the trunk and branches . The root system is dense and binds the soil well, thus preventing soil erosion .
The simple, short-stalked leaves are alternate. The egg-shaped to elliptical leaf blade has entire margins and is rounded or rounded to acuminate. The leaves are lighter on the underside, dull and slightly hairy, and shiny and practically bare on the top. They are up to about 18-22 inches long and up to 6-8 inches wide. The veins are, often alternating, pinnate forward and somewhat lighter, and slightly protruding below. There are small and sloping stipules . The autumn color is orange-red.
Generative characteristics
Bridelia micrantha is monoecious mixed sex monoecious , mixed, very small inflorescences are axillary and tufted with some flowers. The unisexual, small and yellowish-green flowers are usually five-fold with a double flower envelope and they each have a conspicuous, lobed and fleshy disc . The triangular sepals are much larger than the alternating, very small and scale-shaped petals. The male flowers are short-stalked and the mostly 5 stamens are fused tubular in the lower part, there is a pestle. The female flowers are almost sitting and lying in the discus, two-chamber ovary is upper constant, usually with two stylus branches with two-part scar .
Roundish, blackish and smooth, shiny stone fruits are formed. They are lonely and up to 7–8 millimeters in size. The light brown stone core is about 5 millimeters in size.
Systematics
The first description of Basionyms Candelabria micrantha done in 1843 by Christian Ferdinand Friedrich Hochstetter in Flora, or general botanical newspaper 26: 79. The re-allocation to Bridelia micrantha known 164. There are many other synonyms: in a new genus was made in 1862 by Henri Ernest Baillon in Adansonia 3 such as Bridelia abyssinica Pax , Bridelia mildbraedii Gehrm. , Bridelia zanzibariensis Vatke. & Pax or Bridelia stenocarpa Müll.Arg.
The generic name Bridelia is named after the Swiss Bryolgen and botanist Samuel Élisée von Bridel , the epithet micrantha means small-flowered.
There are two varieties :
- Bridelia micrantha var. Micrantha
- Bridelia micrantha var. Gambicola (Baill.) Garbage. Arg . , it occurs only in the very west of West Africa .
use
The fruits are sweet and edible. The leaves, bark and roots are used medicinally. The rather hard wood can be used for various applications. The wood, the leaves and the bark as well as the fruit can be used for coloring.
Bridelia micrantha is often planted as a shade tree, e.g. B. in banana and coffee plantations.
Web links
- Bridelia micrantha at Useful Tropical Plants.
- Bridelia micrantha on treesa.org, accessed April 20, 2019.