Afzelia is a genus of plants in family Fabaceae. The thirteen species all are trees, native to tropical Africa or Asia.
| Afzelia | |
|---|---|
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| Afzelia africana fruit and seed - MHNT | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Detarioideae |
| Tribe: | Afzelieae |
| Genus: | Afzelia |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
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The genus name of Afzelia is in honour of Adam Afzelius (1750–1837), a Swedish botanist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.[1]
Evolutionary History edit
Afzelia is closely related to, and the sister taxon of Intsia. Both Afzelia and Intsia, along with Brodriguesia form the clade Afzelieae within the legume subfamily Detarioideae.[2]
The earliest definitive record of Afzelia in the fossil record is a well-preserved, compression fossil of a leaflet (with cuticle) from the late Oligocene (27.23 Ma) Guang River flora of northwestern Ethiopia (Amhara), named Afzelia afro-arabica.[3] Numerous other records, some which may represent Afzelia (or potentially, Intsia), are known fossil wood occurrences from the Paleogene and Neogene of Africa and Asia and are included in the form genus, Pahudioxylon.[3][4][5]
Uses edit
Afzelia species are used primarily for wood, though some species also have medicinal uses. The timber is most commonly traded under the collective name "doussie", as well as under name "afzelia." African species are sometimes traded as "African mahogany" or "pod mahogany", despite the genus being botanically unrelated to Meliaceae (mahogany.)[6]
The seeds are red and black and are used as beads.[citation needed]
The wood is often used as the surface material for outdoor velodromes.[citation needed]
The highly figured wood of the Asian species, Afzelia xylocarpa, is sold as Afzelia xylay. The seeds and bark of this species are used as medicine.[citation needed]
The dense and wavy wood of an Afzelia africana is used in ship-building.[7]
References edit
- ^ Burkhardt, Lotte (2018). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen [Index of Eponymic Plant Names] (in German). doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5.[page needed]
- ^ de la Estrella, Manuel; Forest, Félix; Klitgård, Bente; Lewis, Gwilym P.; Mackinder, Barbara A.; de Queiroz, Luciano P.; Wieringa, Jan J.; Bruneau, Anne (2 May 2018). "A new phylogeny-based tribal classification of subfamily Detarioideae, an early branching clade of florally diverse tropical arborescent legumes". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 6884. Bibcode:2018NatSR...8.6884D. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-24687-3. PMC 5932001. PMID 29720687.
- ^ a b Pan, Aaron D.; Jacobs, Bonnie F.; Herendeen, Patrick S. (May 2010). "Detarieae sensu lato (Fabaceae) from the Late Oligocene (27.23 Ma) Guang River flora of north-western Ethiopia". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 163 (1): 44–54. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2010.01044.x.
- ^ Feng, Xinxin; Jin, Jianhua; Liao, Wenbo; Oskolski, Alexei A. (June 2015). "Wood of Pahudioxylon (Fabaceae) from the Miocene of Jialai-Nanbao Basin, Hainan Island, South China". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 176 (5): 486–498. doi:10.1086/680554.
- ^ Damblon, F.; Gerrienne, Ph.; D'Outrelepont, H.; Delvaux, D.; Beeckman, H.; Back, S. (April 1998). "Identification of a fossil wood specimen in the Red Sandstone Group of southwestern Tanzania: Stratigraphical and tectonic implications". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 26 (3): 387–396. Bibcode:1998JAfES..26..387D. doi:10.1016/S0899-5362(98)00022-0.
- ^ "not found". cites.org. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ National Geographic TV, Arab Treasure Ship. Viewed 2013-01-13.[better source needed]
External links edit
- ILDIS world database of legumes
- Doussie technological characteristics, Tropix program, CIRAD Agricultural Research for Development Countries
Media related to Afzelia at Wikimedia Commons
