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<big>''[[Maesopsis eminii]]'' Engler</big>
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:Protologue: Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. C: 255 (1895).
== Synonyms ==
*''Maesopsis berchemioides'' (Pierre) A. Chev. (1917).
== Vernacular names ==
*Umbrella tree, musizi (standard trade name) (En). *Musizi (Fr)
*Indonesia: kayu afrika.
== Description ==
*Unarmed, evergreen to deciduous tree, 15-25(-45) m tall with an open, spreading crown. Bole exceptionally straight, cylindrical, up to 15 m tall and 50(-180) cm in diameter; buttresses small or absent; bark pale grey to grey-brown or almost white, smooth or with deep, vertical, often twisted furrows; slash red outside, yellow near the wood. Branchlets with patent short hairs. *Leaves mostly subopposite, simple, glandular-serrulate; stipules subulate, 2-6 mm long, puberulent, caducous; petiole 6-12 mm long, puberulent to glabrescent; blade ovate-elliptical to oblong-ovate, 7-14 cm × 2.5-6 cm, lustrous above, paler beneath, glabrous except when young, base rounded to subcordate, apex acuminate, margins with rounded teeth 0.3-5 mm long. *Inflorescence a many flowered, axillary cyme, 1-5 cm long; peduncle 4-25 mm long; flowers .*Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, yellowish-green; pedicel 1-3(-6) mm long; sepals deltoid, 2-6 mm long; petals very strongly concave-convex, hiding the anthers, not clawed; anthers subsessile; style short, dilated; stigma stellately 10-lobed; style and stigma persistent in fruit. *Fruit an obovoid drupe, 20-35 mm × 10-18 mm, turning from green to yellow to purple-black when maturing; mesocarp floury, cream-coloured, endocarp creamy-brown.
== Growth and development ==
Thinning is required after the 5th year to allow a proper crown/stem ratio to develop. For optimal growth, a density of about 125 trees/ha has been calculated in Malaysia. Established plantations may be coppiced. ''M. eminii'' is self-pruning. It has been proposed as an alternative for ''Paraserianthes falcataria'' (L.) Nielsen, where the latter is affected by ''Xystrocera'' wood borers. Rotations in ''M. eminii'' plantations are kept at 30-40 years, since older trees are often wind-thrown. Rotations are about 8 years for fuelwood, poles and pulp production. In plantations ''M. eminii'' competes well with weeds but cannot suppress ''Imperata'' grass.
In agroforestry experiments in Rwanda its growth was not affected by any of the associated crops, but yields of the latter were strongly reduced. Common bean ( ''Phaseolus vulgaris'' L.) did best, yielding about 60% of the unshaded controls.
== Diseases and pests ==
Poorly growing trees of ''M. eminii'' on soils of low fertility or with impeded drainage are prone to canker (in Uganda caused by ''Fusarium solani'' ). Fungal rot may occur during the often long germination period. A bacterial blight may cause damage on poorly drained sites in Malaysia. It is relatively free of pests in South-East Asia, only debarking by squirrels has been reported to cause damage in Malaysia.
== Yield ==
== Literature ==
* Binggeli, P. & Hamilton, A.C., 1993. Biological invasion by Maesopsis eminii in the East Usambara forests, Tanzania. Opera Botanica 121: 229-235.
== Authors ==
*H.G. Schabel & A. Latiff
[[Category:Auxiliary plants (PROSEA)]]
[[Category:PROSEA]]