Milicia (plant)
The plant genus Milicia belongs to the family of the mulberry family ( Moraceae ). The only two species are native to Africa. Trivial names in the home countries and some trade names for the wood are Iroko, Semli (Sierra Leone, Liberia), Odoum (Ghana, Ivory Coast), Rokko, Oroko (Nigeria ), Abang, Mandji (Cameroon, Gabon ), Mereira (Angola), Kambala (Zaire), Mvule (East Africa) and African Teak ( english).
Description
The two Milicia species are trees. The alternate and distichous arranged leaves are simple and pinnately. The two stipules are not fused.
Milicia species are dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The flowers are in axillary, aged men inflorescences with bracts. The unisexual flowers are cruciform with only one Blütenhüllblattkreis. The four bracts are fused at their base. The male flowers have four stamens. In a female inflorescence many flowers are borne. In the female flowers good two thin, distinctly different long scars are visible. The stone fruits are surrounded by enlarged, fleshy, greenish bloom cladding. The seeds are small.
Occurrence
Milicia species are in tropical evergreen and semi- evergreen rain forest and savannah woodland in the Sahel from Senegal and Sierra Leone to Mozambique in southern East Africa south common. Mainly get the two Milicia species in Côte d' Ivoire ( Iroko ), Ghana ( Odum ), Nigeria and Cameroon ( Kambala ), from the Congo in Central Africa to Uganda and Tanzania ( Mvule ) in the East.
System
The genus Milicia was erected in 1909 by Thomas Robertson Sim in Forest Flora and Forest Researches of Portugese East Africa, p 97. As Lectotypusart was established in 1960 by Swart Milicia Sim africana. A synonym for Milicia Sim is Chlorophora Gaudich, Maclura sect. Chlorophora ( Gaud. ) Baill ..
The genus Milicia Sim belongs to the tribe Moreae in the family Moraceae.
The genus Milicia are only two ways:
- Milicia excelsa ( Welw. ) CCBerg ( Syn: Chlorophora excelsa ( Welw. ) Benth, Morus excelsa Welw, Chlorophora alba A.Chev, Milicia Sim africana. .. )
- Milicia regia ( A.Chev. ) CCBerg ( Syn: Chlorophora regia A.Chev. )
Use
Iroko is the trading name of the wood. The wood color is golden brown with a yellowish white sapwood. The fibers often undulate and are coarse textured. The wood is processed into very valuable weatherproof timber. Iroko is used in commercially significant quantities in Africa (about 50,000 m³ of timber per year), mainly in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon processed into sawn timber, planed and furniture parts and exported from these countries in economically significant quantities. The wood is exceptionally weatherproof and very decorative, similar to teak. It is mainly for flooring, building elements (windows and doors ) and furniture and garden furniture used. Iroko has about the weight and hardness of oak. The wood and especially the wood dust from Iroko can cause allergic reactions.
Iroko has a market value of about 1400 euros per cubic meter of planed wood, after 1920 Euros. A full truckload with iroko garden furniture costs about 40,000 euros in Europe (2006 ). The country of production flow thereof to more than 30,000 euros. A developing country such as Ghana takes through the export of Iroko (where " Odum " ) over 5 million euros a. This corresponds to the annual earnings of more than 5000 people (2006). Since at least ten family members depend on each worker in Ghana, this value is about 50,000 people will benefit in Ghana. This shows the enormous importance of a wood such as Iroko. On the other hand, carries the mass, cost-effective use of this wood in the opinion of environmental organizations to destroy the savannah forest with and threatens the livelihood of the people themselves, but also of animals.
Swell
- CC Berg: Moraceae in the flora Zambesiaca, Volume 9, Part 6, 1991: Milicia - Online.