Spirostachys africana is a medium-sized (about 10 metres (33 ft) tall) deciduous tree with a straight, clear trunk, occurring in the warmer parts of Southern Africa. Its wood is known as tamboti, tambotie, tambootie or tambuti.
The leaves are small, elliptic with crenate margins, and turn bright red in winter before dropping. The petiole has 2 small glands at the distal end. The grey-black rough bark is distinctively split into neat rectangles. The catkin-like flowers appear in early spring before the leaves. Male and female flowers are borne separately on the same tree (monoecious). The small 3-lobed capsules or schizocarps split into three equal indehiscent segments (mericarps or cocci) when ripe; on a warm day this splitting (dehiscence) can sound like a distant fusillade of shots. The seeds are globose with a chartaceous testa.
Wood and toxicityedit
Despite it being prone to heart-rot, it is prized in the furniture industry for its beautiful, dense and durable timber, which is reddish-brown with darker streaks, a satin-like lustre and extremely fragrant sweet, spicy smell. The underbark exudes a white, poisonous latex when freshly cut, and campfires that burn tamboti fuel give off noxious fumes contaminating meat or other food grilled on the open flames or coals. The latex is used as a fish poison, is applied to arrow-tips and is used as a purgative by indigenous tribes.
Jumping beansedit
The fruits while green are frequently parasitised by the small grey mothEmporia melanobasis (Pyralidae: Phycitinae). Larvae develop within the growing fruits which show no external damage. When the fruits are mature each splits into 3 cocci. The larvae jack-knife inside the fallen segments, causing them to move about erratically and vigorously, to the surprise of the uninitiated. This has led to the name "jumping bean tree". The Mexican jumping bean, Sebastiania sp., also belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and is parasitised by the moth Cydia saltitans.
^Hills, R. (2019). "Spirostachys africana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T200643A2675506. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T200643A2675506.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa - John Mitchell Watt & Maria Gerdina Breyer-Brandwyk (E&S Livingstone 1962)
spirostachys, africana, medium, sized, about, metres, tall, deciduous, tree, with, straight, clear, trunk, occurring, warmer, parts, southern, africa, wood, known, tamboti, tambotie, tambootie, tambuti, tamboti, conservation, status, least, concern, iucn, scie. Spirostachys africana is a medium sized about 10 metres 33 ft tall deciduous tree with a straight clear trunk occurring in the warmer parts of Southern Africa Its wood is known as tamboti tambotie tambootie or tambuti Tamboti Conservation status Least Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Eudicots Clade Rosids Order Malpighiales Family Euphorbiaceae Genus Spirostachys Species S africana Binomial name Spirostachys africanaSond It prefers growing in single species copses in deciduous woodland often along watercourses or on brackish flats and sandy soils Contents 1 Description 2 Wood and toxicity 3 Jumping beans 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 ReferencesDescription edit nbsp S africana trunk The leaves are small elliptic with crenate margins and turn bright red in winter before dropping The petiole has 2 small glands at the distal end The grey black rough bark is distinctively split into neat rectangles The catkin like flowers appear in early spring before the leaves Male and female flowers are borne separately on the same tree monoecious The small 3 lobed capsules or schizocarps split into three equal indehiscent segments mericarps or cocci when ripe on a warm day this splitting dehiscence can sound like a distant fusillade of shots The seeds are globose with a chartaceous testa Wood and toxicity editDespite it being prone to heart rot it is prized in the furniture industry for its beautiful dense and durable timber which is reddish brown with darker streaks a satin like lustre and extremely fragrant sweet spicy smell The underbark exudes a white poisonous latex when freshly cut and campfires that burn tamboti fuel give off noxious fumes contaminating meat or other food grilled on the open flames or coals The latex is used as a fish poison is applied to arrow tips and is used as a purgative by indigenous tribes Jumping beans editThe fruits while green are frequently parasitised by the small grey moth Emporia melanobasis Pyralidae Phycitinae Larvae develop within the growing fruits which show no external damage When the fruits are mature each splits into 3 cocci The larvae jack knife inside the fallen segments causing them to move about erratically and vigorously to the surprise of the uninitiated This has led to the name jumping bean tree The Mexican jumping bean Sebastiania sp also belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and is parasitised by the moth Cydia saltitans Gallery edit nbsp S africana foliage nbsp fruit capsule or schizocarp nbsp fruit and fruit segments or mericarps nbsp mericarp with Emporia melanobasis larva nbsp Wood nbsp Log with heart rotSee also editList of Southern African indigenous treesReferences edit Hills R 2019 Spirostachys africana IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019 e T200643A2675506 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2019 3 RLTS T200643A2675506 en Retrieved 18 November 2021 Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa John Mitchell Watt amp Maria Gerdina Breyer Brandwyk E amp S Livingstone 1962 Spirostachys africana PlantZAfrica com Retrieved 2010 03 04 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Spirostachys africana amp oldid 1055922715, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
