Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Ocotea usambarensis

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Lauraceae

Scientific name
  
Ocotea usambarensis

Rank
  
Species

Order
  
Laurales

Genus
  
Ocotea

Higher classification
  
Ocotea

Ocotea usambarensis Ocotea usambarensis tree Photo taken in or near Amani Nat Flickr

Similar
  
Ocotea, Lauraceae, Juniperus procera, Hagenia, Ocotea foetens

Ocotea usambarensis is a species of Ocotea (family Lauraceae), native to eastern Africa in Kenya, Tanzania, and locally in Uganda, where it occurs at 1600-2600 m altitude in high rainfall montane cloud forest. Common names include East African camphorwood, mkulo (Tanzania), mwiha (Uganda), muwong, muzaiti, and maasi.

Ocotea usambarensis Vascular Plant Image Library Lauraceae

It is a large evergreen tree growing to 35 m (exceptionally 45 m) tall, with fast growth (up to 2 m per year) when young. The leaves are opposite (sometimes alternate on fast-growing stems), elliptic to oval, 4-16 cm long and 2.5-9 cm wide, dark green above, pale below, with an entire margin and an acuminate apex. The foliage has a distinct scent of camphor. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish-yellow; the fruit is a small drupe 1 cm long.

Ocotea usambarensis databaseprotaorgPROTAhtmlPhotfile20ImagesOco

Uses

It is an important timber tree, valued for the resistance of its wood to fungal decay.

Ocotea usambarensis Inmagic DBText WebPublisher PRO 1 records

Ocotea usambarensis Protabase Record

Ocotea usambarensis Protabase Record

Ocotea usambarensis Agrofostree Species profile

References

Ocotea usambarensis Wikipedia