Baikiaea plurijuga

Baikiaea plurijuga
Tree in Namibia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Baikiaea
Species: B. plurijuga
Binomial name
Baikiaea plurijuga
Harms
The range of Baikiaea woodlands
Baikiaea plurijuga - MHNT

Baikiaea plurijuga, known as African teak, Mukusi, Rhodesian teak, Zambian teak or Zambesi redwood, is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. The woodland which it dominates is known as Gusu woodland, and is located on the deep, aeolian and fluvial Kalahari Sands which have virtually no clay or silt. These sands provide exceptional growing conditions for deep-rooting trees, but the deficiency in clay restricts tree growth to sites holding nutrients in the form of organic matter. [1][2]

This species forms a dense hardwood valued for its termite resistance, is used for railway sleepers, in construction and for furniture making. Extensive teak forests in some parts of its range (e.g. at Mulobezi, Zambia) have been over-exploited by the commercial timber industry.

It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

References

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