Terminalia superba

The Limbabaum ( Terminalia superba ), also known as White myrobalan, is a species of the genus of Myrobalan ( Terminalia ). He is also known as Korina in the United States. The tree is found in the tropical rainforests of Africa.

Description

The Limbabaum is a striking, deciduous tree with a long, straight trunk that can reach heights of growth of 30 to 45 m and a trunk diameter 4-5 m. The strong buttress roots reach between 2.5 and 3 m above the ground. The standing in whorls branches spread out into an open crown. The wood is light yellow- brown, sapwood and heartwood are usually indistinguishable, but there are forms that develop black stripes and shapes whose heartwood is walnut -like.

The alternate standing in small groups at the ends of branches, simple leaves left its leaf scars on the branches when they fall off. The petioles are 3-7 cm long. The smooth leaf blade is obovate, 6-12 cm long and 2.5 to 7 cm wide, with a short tip. There are six to eight leaf pairs of nerves present.

The first flowers are formed only when the trees are relatively old (there are, for example, observations of 15 and 23 years old specimens ). The loose, eared inflorescence is about 7 to 18 cm long. The inflorescence axis is hairy. The sessile, small flowers are fünfzählig. The five greenish-white sepals are on a coaster shaped calyx fused with five short, triangular calyx lobes. Petals absent. There are usually two circles, each with five stamens present. The stamens are about longer than the calyx. Pollination is by many different species of insects.

From pollination to fruit ripening, it takes between six and nine months. The small, one-seeded, winged, sessile, golden - brown, smooth nut fruit is at maturity, including the wing 1.5 to 2.5 cm long and 4-7 cm wide, without the wing about 1.5 cm long and 2 cm wide.

Occurrences and locations

This type comes from Guinea before to the West of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Angola. In many West African countries, the trees are intensively planted. The natural location of the trees are high forests and savannas, at sites with permeable soil and more than 1500 mm annual rainfall.

Use

The wood of the tree is used as a timber. It has a light, medium density, is relatively soft, can be sawn well, edit and polish. Since it is prone to decay and attack by termites and beetles of the genus Euplatypus, it is not suitable for outdoor applications. Inside, the house is used for doors, door jambs, office equipment, shingles, furniture, musical instruments, matches, boxes, planks, veneer and plywood as. Directly after cutting the wood to be processed, after the sawing, a protective treatment is required.

Swell

• HM Burkill. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 4, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1985 ( online)
• Description of the nature of AgroForestryTree Database. (English )