Androstachys johnsonii
| Lebombo ironwood | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Picrodendraceae |
| Tribe: | Picrodendreae |
| Subtribe: | Mischodontinae |
| Genus: |
Androstachys Prain |
| Species: | A. johnsonii |
| Binomial name | |
|
Androstachys johnsonii Prain |
|
Androstachys johnsonii, the Lebombo ironwood, is a medium-sized Afrotropical tree species, and the sole member of the genus Androstachys in the Picrodendraceae. It is slow-growing, evergreen to deciduous, and dioecious, with flowers that are wind-pollinated. It is native to southeastern Africa and Madagascar, where it generally occurs gregariously on rocky hillsides, particularly in hot and dry situations. It produces a hard, durable wood which is of economic interest. Its specific name commemorates W. H. Johnson, a 19th-century Director of Agriculture in Mozambique. Four related species which are native to Madagascar, are usually placed in genus Stachyandra.
Its timber is of economical interest. The wood is extremely hard and durable. It is widely exploited in southern Mozambique, where it is known as simbirre. Here it is used for flooring, for which it is well-suited, and is commonly traded for pillars of huts and fences. South African tourist operators in Mozambique used it extensively for building structures near or in sea water. It is also traded as mecrussé in Mozambique, but rarely so, presumably due to a lack of supply.
Within southern Africa, it occurs in Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga and Swaziland. It is commonly found at altitudes up to 1000 m. It forms dense shrub-like thickets and thrives in hot and dry climates with well drained soils, especially on rocky hillsides or along seasonal watercourses.
It is described as a medium-sized, evergreen tree growing up to 20 m high. It is characterised by a rough bark with a whitish, woolly, hair like covering on the new growth. The leaf blades are 3–9 × 2–7 cm and are oppositely paired at right angles. They are ovate to heart-shaped with both the apex and base rounded. The upper surfaces are shiny and are a green to blue-green color, beneath the surface is covered in dense, white, woolly hairs.
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Wikipedia