Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae byJ.M. Lock*

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 8–20 cm long; petiole 1.5–5 cm long, rachis 4–13 cm long; petiolules 1.5–2 mm long; leaflets 6–12 or more, 1–3.5 × 1–2.5 cm, circular to broadly elliptic or obovate or subspathulate, rounded to truncate and often emarginate or retuse at the apex, rounded or slightly cordate or cuneate at the base; lateral nerves scarcely visible; stipules 2.5–5 mm long, caducous. Leaves 8–20 cm long; petiole 1.5–5 cm long, rachis 4–13 cm long; petiolules 1.5–2 mm long; leaflets 6–12 or more, 1–3.5 × 1–2.5 cm, circular to broadly elliptic or obovate or subspathulate, rounded to truncate and often emarginate or retuse at the apex, rounded or slightly cordate or cuneate at the base; lateral nerves scarcely visible; stipules 2.5–5 mm long, caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2.5–3 mm long, slightly puberulous; upper teeth shallow and rounded, the lateral ones rounded, the lower one triangular-acute and longer than the rest. Calyx 2.5–3 mm long, slightly puberulous; upper teeth shallow and rounded, the lateral ones rounded, the lower one triangular-acute and longer than the rest.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard 3.5–4.5 mm long, broadly obovate, emarginate or retuse, claw c.1 mm long; wings oblong-obovate, claw c.1.5 mm long; keel petals shorter and broader than the wings, dorsally slightly connate or free. Standard 3.5–4.5 mm long, broadly obovate, emarginate or retuse, claw c.1 mm long; wings oblong-obovate, claw c.1.5 mm long; keel petals shorter and broader than the wings, dorsally slightly connate or free.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 9 in a single bundle, the upper one free or absent, or fused in 2 bundles of 5. Stamens 9 in a single bundle, the upper one free or absent, or fused in 2 bundles of 5.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2–4-ovulate, puberulous; style short, oblique, stipe c.1.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 1–3-seeded, 2.5–7 × 1–1.8 cm, thin, stiff, conspicuously reticulate over the seeds. Pod 1–3-seeded, 2.5–7 × 1–1.8 cm, thin, stiff, conspicuously reticulate over the seeds.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 8–10 × 7–8 × 1.5 mm; testa reddish-brown, glossy. Seed 8–10 × 7–8 × 1.5 mm; testa reddish-brown, glossy.

Distribution

Widespread from Senegal and Guinea to Eritrea and Ethiopia, southwards to Mozambique and South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces) and S Angola.

Ecology

At medium to low altitudes, in seasonally dry mixed woodland, bushland and thicket; up to 1450 m.

Conservation

Conservation notes: A very widespread taxon, globally Lower Risk, Least Concern. However, the heavy, fine-grained black heartwood (African Blackwood) is much sought-after for carvings and for high quality woodwind instruments, and larger specimens are now locally scarce enough for the species to have been proposed for CITES listing as Endangered in some coastal eastern African countries.

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or straggling tree up to c.10 m high, much-branched, with spines derived from modified shoots; crown irregular; bark rough, greyish, flaking off in small scales. Shrub or straggling tree up to c.10 m high, much-branched, with spines derived from modified shoots; crown irregular; bark rough, greyish, flaking off in small scales.

Morphology General Indumentum

Young parts minutely crisped-puberulous, soon glabrous; bark smooth and pale grey. Young parts minutely crisped-puberulous, soon glabrous; bark smooth and pale grey.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of axillary and terminal panicles 2.5–8 cm long, usually borne on reduced short, spine-tipped shoots; bracts and bracteoles c.1 mm long, usually present at anthesis. Inflorescence of axillary and terminal panicles 2.5–8 cm long, usually borne on reduced short, spine-tipped shoots; bracts and bracteoles c.1 mm long, usually present at anthesis.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white, sweet-scented, 3.5–5 mm long, secund; pedicels 1–3 mm long. Flowers white, sweet-scented, 3.5–5 mm long, secund; pedicels 1–3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 2–4-ovulate, puberulous; style short, oblique, stipe c.1.5 mm long.

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Spiny shrub or tree, up to 5–12(–30) m. tall, typically several-stemmed and much branched to form a low irregularly shaped crown; bark grey, ultimately rough and fissured or flaking; heartwood purplish-brown to black.

Morphology Branches

Branchlets clustered at the nodes, some growing out, others relatively short and spine-tipped, covered at first with short crisped hairs, but usually soon glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly 6–22 cm. long; stipules oblong-ovate or oblong, 2–6 mm. long, fugaceous; lateral leaflets 4–6(–8) on either side of rhachis, mostly oblong-obovate to obovate, 1–5(–5.5) cm. long, 0.7–3(–5) cm. wide, truncate or emarginate at apex, broadly cuneate to rounded or slightly cordate at base, shortly pubescent at least beneath, glabrescent; primary lateral nerves 8–12 on either side of midrib, the lower ones ascending to upper half.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles appearing with flush of new leaves, ±3–12 cm. long, laxly branched, many-flowered, with slender subglabrous to shortly crisped-pubescent axes; bracts linear-lanceolate to ovate, concave, 0.5–1 mm. long, caducous; bracteoles at top of short pedicel similar.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2–3(–4) mm. long, sparsely pubescent to subglabrous except on margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 4–6 mm. long, white, fragrant; standard elliptic-obovate or obovate, narrowed to claw; wings little shorter than standard and slightly exceeding keel.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens usually 9, united or variously divided.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit elliptic-oblong or irregularly oblong, bluntly pointed, with the 0.5–1 cm. long stipe 3–7 cm. long, 0.8–1.4 (–2) cm. wide, papery, glabrous, laxly and rather diffusely veined, 1–2-seeded.

Figures

Fig. 21/1–9.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland (but generally absent from Brachystegia associations), deciduous, secondary or coastal bushland and wooded grassland, often in rocky places or valleys of impeded drainage; 0–1350 m.

Distribution

K4 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T8 U1 U2 U3 widespread from Senegal to Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, south to Angola and the Transvaal (but generally absent from the NE. Horn of Africa), also in western Peninsular India

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sudanian woodland, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Somalia-Masai woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree

Vernacular

African Blackwood, African Ebony, Chinese Blackwood, East African Blackwood, Senegal Ebony, Sudan Ebony