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<big>''[[Cynometra madagascariensis]]'' Baill.</big>
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Cynometra madagascariensis'' (PROTA)}}
:Protologue: Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 375 (1883).
:Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae)
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
Ethanolic leaf extracts of ''Cynometra madagascariensis'' showed potent antiviral activity against herpes simplex.
== Botany Description ==
Evergreen small to medium-sized tree up to 20(–30) m tall; bole up to 50(–100) cm in diameter; twigs short-hairy, with lenticels. Leaves arranged spirally, paripinnately compound with (5–)6–16 pairs of leaflets; stipules threadlike, 0.5–1 cm long, caducous; petiole 1–3 mm long, thick, wrinkled, rachis 1–10 cm long, grooved above, short-hairy; leaflets opposite, sessile, obliquely oblong to oblong-ovate, 0.5–2(–2.5) cm × 0.2–0.6(–0.8) cm, notched at apex, glabrous. Inflorescence an axillary raceme up to 1.5 cm long, short-hairy; bracts small. Flowers bisexual, nearly regular, whitish; pedicel 0.5–1 cm long; sepals 4(–5), 2–3 mm long, reflexed; petals 5, free, narrowly obovate, 3.5–5 mm long; stamens 10, free, c. 7 mm long; ovary superior, with short stipe, hairy, 1-celled, style 3–5 mm long. Fruit a slightly obliquely oblong-elliptic, flat pod 1–2 cm × 0.5–2 cm, with short stipe, warty, 1-seeded. Seed with thin seed coat.
== Other botanical information ==
''Cynometra madagascariensis'' has been subdivided into 3 subspecies, differing in number and size of the leaflets and length of the leaf rachis. Trees flower from August to December.
''Cynometra'' comprises about 90 species and occurs in the tropical regions of the world. Approximately 25 species can be found in mainland tropical Africa and about 10 in Madagascar. Tropical Asia and tropical America have about 25 species each.
The wood of several other ''Cynometra'' spp. is used in Madagascar for similar purposes as that of ''Cynometra madagascariensis''. ''Cynometra abrahamii'' Du Puy & R.Rabev. is a medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall with bole up to 50 cm in diameter, widespread in deciduous woodland and evergreen forest. Its wood is used for posts in house construction and as roof support. ''Cynometra aurita'' R.Vig. is a small to medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall with bole up to 100 cm in diameter, endemic to lowland north-eastern Madagascar. The hard wood is used for construction. ''Cynometra commersoniana'' (DC.) Baill. is a small tree up to 12 m tall with bole up to 30 cm in diameter, occurring in lowland evergreen forest in eastern Madagascar. The hard and resilient wood is used for construction and tool handles, and as firewood.
=== ''Cynometra dauphinensisabrahamii'' ===''[[Cynometra abrahamii]]'' Du Puy & R.Rabev. is a small medium-sized tree up to 15 30 m tall with bole up to 30 50 cm in diameter, also occurring widespread in lowland deciduous woodland and evergreen forest in eastern Madagascar. Its dark-coloured wood is used for poles and planks posts in house construction, for carpentry, and as firewoodroof support.
=== ''Cynometra sakalavaaurita'' ===''[[Cynometra aurita]]'' Du Puy & R.RabevVig. is a small to medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall with bole up to 40 100 cm in diameter, fairly widespread in deciduous forest in northern and western endemic to lowland north-eastern Madagascar. The hard wood is used for poles in house construction, for carpentry, and as firewood.
== Description =''Cynometra commersoniana'' = ==''[[Cynometra commersoniana]]'' (DC.) Baill. is a small tree up to 12 m tall with bole up to 30 cm in diameter, occurring in lowland evergreen forest in eastern Madagascar. The hard and resilient wood is used for construction and tool handles, and as firewood.
=== ''Cynometra dauphinensis'' ===
''[[Cynometra dauphinensis]]'' Du Puy & R.Rabev. is a small tree up to 15 m tall with bole up to 30 cm in diameter, also occurring in lowland evergreen forest in eastern Madagascar. Its dark-coloured wood is used for poles and planks in house construction, for carpentry, and as firewood.
=== ''Cynometra sakalava'' ===
''[[Cynometra sakalava]]'' Du Puy & R.Rabev. is a small to medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall with bole up to 40 cm in diameter, fairly widespread in deciduous forest in northern and western Madagascar. The hard wood is used for poles in house construction, for carpentry, and as firewood.
== Ecology ==
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[[Category:PROTA prov]][[Category:Timbers (PROTA)]]