Sterculia africana (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)

Sterculia africana Sterculiaceae Indigenous

• Agnuakgna: Uriemo
• Mejengrgna: Gedem
• Tigrigna: Darle

A common tree of Central and Southern Africa occurring in most types of woodlands and in hot dry areas on rocky hills or the fringes of woodlands where the bare-branched tree with pale bark stands out. In Ethiopia, it grows in moist flat lowland in Dry to Moist Bereha and Kolla agroclimatic zones of Welo, Shewa, Gambella, Benishangul-gumuz, Hararge, Bale, Afar and Gofa, 0-1,400 m.

Its gum is used as additive to medicines. The wood could be used for fuelwood and fencing, pulp, paper and cheap furniture.

A deciduous tree with a thick, fluted trunk, usually 5-12 m but may reach 25 m, the erect branches spreading to a rounded crown. Branches soft and brittle.

• BARK: Smooth, often shiny white, later flaking irregularly into patches to reveal a beautiful purple-green-white-brown under-bark.
• LEAVES: Crowded at the tips of branches, deeply divided with 3-5 lobes, over 10 cm across, on a stalk to 10 cm, lobes pointed.
• FLOWERS: Appear on the bare tree, sexes separate on the same tree, in branched heads to 9 cm, green-yellow sepals (no petals) joined together, 2.5 cm across with red honey-guide lines within.
• FRUIT: 1-5 woody beaked sections, boat-shaped, with short yellow hairs. One side only breaks open to set free 3-10 flat, blue-grey seeds which hang like ticks around the open edge.

Seedlings, cuttings, truncheons (large woody cuttings).

About 24,000 - 28,000 seed per kg. Germination up to 65 % after 20 days.

• Treatment: Not necessary.
• Storage: Can retain viability for a couple of months at room temperature.

Pruning, coppicing.