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, 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
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Baikiaea plurijuga.
- 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 18 July 2007.