Maesopsis eminii (umbrella tree)
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Top of pageIdentity
Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- Maesopsis eminii Engl.
Preferred Common Name
- umbrella tree
Other Scientific Names
- Maesopsis berchemioides (Pierre) A. Chev.
International Common Names
- English: musizi
- French: musizi
Local Common Names
- Africa: musizi
- Burundi: ndunga; omohumula
- Cameroon: esenge
- Côte d'Ivoire: manasati
- India/Dadra and Nagar Haveli: bums
- Indonesia: kayu afrika
- Kenya: muhunya; mutere
- Liberia: awuru
- Malaysia/Peninsular Malaysia: kayu afrika
- Rwanda: ndunga; omohumula
- Tanzania: muhumula; musira
- Uganda: muguruka; muhongera
- Zambia: ndunja
EPPO code
- MPIEM (Maesopsis eminii)
Subspecies
- Maesopsis eminii subsp. berchemioides
- Maesopsis eminii subsp. eminii
Summary of Invasiveness
Top of pageM. eminii is a fast-growing, large tree which has gained a reputation as a plantation tree and useful timber in the humid tropics. It is an aggressive colonizer of grasslands and disturbed areas within forests (Eggeling, 1940). In Tanzania, introduction of M. eminii resulted in its invasion of evergreen rainforest, indicating deleterious effects on the ecosystem; it has been suggested that it should be controlled (Binggeli, 1990). M. eminii has also been found to be associated with invasion events in India, Rwanda and Puerto Rico (Haysom and Murphy, 2003).
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Dicotyledonae
- Order: Rhamnales
- Family: Rhamnaceae
- Genus: Maesopsis
- Species: Maesopsis eminii
Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Top of pageDescription
Top of pageGeneral
Semi-deciduous trees to 25-45 m tall and 50-180 cm diameter, with an open spreading crown. Bole straight, cylindrical, and clear to 20 m high. Bark pale grey to whitish, deeply fissured. Inner bark crimson with distinct odour of cold cooked chicken.
Foliage
Leaves alternate or sub-opposite, simple, glossy, remotely toothed along the margin, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, apex pointed, base rounded.
Inflorescences, flowers and fruits
Flowers in axillary cymes, small; calyx 5-lobed, petals 5. Fruit a drupe, obovoid, 20-35 x 10-18 mm, turning from green to yellow and purplish-black when ripe, mesocarp floury, cream-coloured (Eggeling, 1940).
Phenology
M. eminii starts flowering and fruiting at 4 to 6 years old (Luna, 1996). Planted trees in Peninsular Malaysia flower twice a year: from February to May and from August to September. Seeds ripen about two months after flowering. They are dispersed by birds (especially hornbills in Africa), bats, rodents and monkeys (Yap and Wong, 1983). In southern India, leaf fall occurs in February to March; the leaf fall is never complete (Luna, 1996).
Distribution
Top of pageM. eminii occurs naturally in a band across Western, Central and Eastern Africa (between 8°N and 6°S) from Kenya to Liberia. The species is managed in natural stands and planted in many areas throughout its native range (Francis, 1992). It has been introduced to India, Sumatra, Java, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Western Samoa, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Malawi (Francis, 1992; Faridah Hanum and van der Maesen, 1997).
Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
Last updated: 10 Jan 2020Continent/Country/Region | Distribution | Last Reported | Origin | First Reported | Invasive | Planted | Reference | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Africa |
||||||||
Angola | Present | |||||||
Benin | Present | |||||||
Burundi | Present | |||||||
Cameroon | Present | |||||||
Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Present | Planted | ||||||
Congo, Republic of the | Present | |||||||
Côte d'Ivoire | Present | |||||||
Equatorial Guinea | Present | |||||||
Gabon | Present | |||||||
Ghana | Present | Planted | ||||||
Kenya | Present | Planted | ||||||
Liberia | Present | |||||||
Nigeria | Present | |||||||
Rwanda | Present | Introduced | Invasive | |||||
São Tomé and Príncipe | Present | |||||||
Sudan | Present | Planted | ||||||
Tanzania | Present | Introduced | Invasive | Planted | ||||
Togo | Present | |||||||
Uganda | Present | Planted | ||||||
Zambia | Present | Planted | ||||||
Asia |
||||||||
India | Present | Introduced | Invasive | Planted | ||||
Indonesia | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | ||||||
-Java | Present | Planted | ||||||
-Sumatra | Present | Planted | ||||||
Malaysia | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | ||||||
-Peninsular Malaysia | Present | Planted | ||||||
Philippines | Present | Planted | ||||||
North America |
||||||||
Puerto Rico | Present | Introduced | Invasive | |||||
Oceania |
||||||||
Fiji | Present | Planted |
Latitude/Altitude Ranges
Top of pageLatitude North (°N) | Latitude South (°S) | Altitude Lower (m) | Altitude Upper (m) |
---|---|---|---|
8 | -6 | 50 | 1800 |
Air Temperature
Top of pageParameter | Lower limit | Upper limit |
---|---|---|
Absolute minimum temperature (ºC) | 10 | |
Mean annual temperature (ºC) | 22 | 27 |
Mean maximum temperature of hottest month (ºC) | 26 | 34 |
Mean minimum temperature of coldest month (ºC) | 16 | 24 |
Rainfall
Top of pageParameter | Lower limit | Upper limit | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Dry season duration | 0 | 4 | number of consecutive months with <40 mm rainfall |
Mean annual rainfall | 1200 | 3600 | mm; lower/upper limits |
Soil Tolerances
Top of pageSoil drainage
- free
Soil reaction
- acid
- neutral
- very acid
Soil texture
- light
- medium
Special soil tolerances
- infertile
Wood Products
Top of pageContainers
- Boxes
Furniture
Pulp
- Short-fibre pulp
Sawn or hewn building timbers
- Carpentry/joinery (exterior/interior)
- For light construction
Wood wool
Wood-based materials
- Particleboard
- Plywood
References
Top of pageBrasnett NV, 1940. Stump planting. E. Afr. agric. J. 5 (387-8).
Faridah Hanum I; Maesen LJG van der, eds. , 1997. Plant resources of southeast Asia. No. 11. Auxillary plants. Leiden, Netherlands: Backhuys.
Ferlin G, 1970. Memories of the Sudan. Bois For. Trop. (133), (3-15). [3 refs.].
Francis JK, 1992. Maesopsis eminii Engl., Musizi. Rhamnaceae. Buckthorn family. Research Note SO-ITF-SM-8. USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Institute of Tropical Forestry, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Luna RK, 1996. Plantation trees. Delhi, India: International Book Distributors.
Streets RJ, 1962. Exotic forest trees in the British Commonwealth. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.
Tack CH, 1953. Plywood and veneer species. Technical Note Forest Department, Uganda, No. 5: 1-2.
von Carlowitz PG, 1991. Multipurpose Trees and Shrubs - Sources of Seeds and Inoculants. Nairobi, Kenya: ICRAF.
Distribution References
CABI, Undated. CABI Compendium: Status inferred from regional distribution. Wallingford, UK: CABI
CABI, Undated a. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI
Links to Websites
Top of pageWebsite | URL | Comment |
---|---|---|
GISD/IASPMR: Invasive Alien Species Pathway Management Resource and DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway | https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m93f6 | Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list. |
Distribution Maps
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