Bivinia jalbertii (PROTA)
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Introduction |
| General importance |  
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| Geographic coverage Africa |
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| Geographic coverage World |
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| Timber |
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| Ornamental |
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| Conservation status |
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Bivinia jalbertii Tul.
- Protologue: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 4, 8: 78 (1857).
- Family: Flacourtiaceae (APG: Salicaceae)
Vernacular names
- Cobweb tree (En).
Origin and geographic distribution
Bivinia jalbertii occurs in restricted, dispersed localities from Kenya to Mozambique and in Madagascar, often in coastal regions.
Uses
The wood is used in construction for poles, bridges and hydraulic works, and for heavy-duty flooring, indoor and outdoor joinery, interior trim and vehicle bodies. It is suitable for ship building, ladders, sporting goods, railway sleepers, toys, novelties, tool handles, boxes and crates. The tree has ornamental value.
Properties
The heartwood is yellowish white and indistinctly demarcated from the up to 5 cm wide sapwood. Wood from Madagascar is medium-weight, with a density of 700–810 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, and rather hard. It air dries fairly well with little degrade. The rates of shrinkage are moderate, from green to oven dry 3.6–4.1% radial and 7.9–8.6% tangential. Once dry, the wood is stable in service. At 12% moisture content, the modulus of rupture is 156–165 N/mm², modulus of elasticity 9900–10,100 N/mm², compression parallel to grain 57–62 N/mm², and Chalais-Meudon side hardness 5.6–6.3.
The wood saws and works well with both machine and hand tools. It holds nails and screws well. The gluing properties are good and the wood paints well and takes a nice finish. It is reported to be resistant to borers and moderately resistant to termites.
Description
- Deciduous shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall; bole branchless for up to 16 m, straight and cylindrical, up to 80(–100) cm in diameter; bark surface smooth, pale grey; branchlets greyish brown, with pale lenticels, short-hairy when young.
- Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent; petiole up to 1.5 cm long, bright red; blade ovate to elliptical or slightly obovate, 4.5–10(–13) cm × 2.5–4(–6) cm, base broadly cuneate, apex acuminate, toothed, thinly papery, slightly hairy particularly at the midrib and veins but becoming glabrous, reddish below, pinnately veined with 7–8 pairs of lateral veins.
- Inflorescence a cylindrical, densely flowered raceme 5–12 cm long, short-hairy.
- Flowers bisexual, regular, greenish yellow; pedicel slender, 2–3(–4) mm long, jointed near the middle; sepals 4–6, ovate-deltoid, 2–3 mm long, short-hairy, with a gland at the base of each sepal; petals absent; stamens many, in fascicles of c. 10 alternating with the sepals, 3–4 mm long; ovary superior, globose, white hairy, styles 4–6.
- Fruit a globose capsule c. 3 mm in diameter, short-hairy, with persistent styles, dehiscing with 4–6 valves, few-seeded.
- Seeds almost cylindrical, c. 2 mm × 1 mm, dark brown, covered with white hairs up to 4 mm long.
Other botanical information
Bivinia jalbertii grows moderately fast. In Zimbabwe it starts flowering when about 10 years old. In Madagascar it flowers in October–December; in Zimbabwe fruits ripen in November–May.
Bivinia comprises a single species; it closely resembles Calantica, which mainly differs in the presence of petals.
Ecology
Bivinia jalbertii occurs in deciduous and semi-deciduous forest and coastal bushland, locally also in evergreen forest on rocky hills, up to 300 m altitude. In Zimbabwe it grows on hills with high rainfall and some dry-season mists north of the Limpopo River.
Management
Bivinia jalbertii has been planted in Zimbabwe on a trial basis as a forestry species and as garden ornamental. It is easily propagated by seed. Young plants require ample water, but no special care. Trees coppice well.
Genetic resources
Bivinia jalbertii has long been protected in Zimbabwe and is listed in the IUCN Red List as lower risk/near threatened, but its status needs revision. It is known from restricted localities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but is a little more widespread in Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. The relationship between the mainland African and Madagascan populations should be investigated as they could be genetically different.
Prospects
The remaining stands of Bivinia jalbertii need protection. Controlled felling for timber seems justified only in locations were it is more common. Too little is known to assess its value as a plantation species.
Major references
- Coates Palgrave, K., 2002. Trees of southern Africa. 3rd Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. 1212 pp.
- Parant, B., Chichignoud, M. & Rakotovao, G., 1985. Présentation graphique des caractères des principaux bois tropicaux. Tome 5. Bois de Madagascar. CIRAD, Montpellier, France. 161 pp.
- Rakotovao, G., Rabevohitra, R., Gerard, J., Détienne, P. & Collas de Chatelperron, P., en préparation. Atlas des bois de Madagascar. FOFIFA-DRFP, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
- Wild, H., 1960. Flacourtiaceae (incl. Samydaceae). In: Exell, A.W. & Wild, H. (Editors). Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 1, part 1. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. pp. 261–298.
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 1998. Bivinia jalbertii. In: IUCN. Red list of threatened species. Version 2010.3. [Internet] http://www.iucnredlist.org. October 2010.
Other references
- Perrier de la Bâthie, H., 1946. Flacourtiacées (Flacourtiaceae). Flore de Madagascar et des Comores (plantes vasculaires), famille 140. Imprimerie Officielle, Tananarive, Madagascar. 131 pp.
- Schatz, G.E., 2001. Generic tree flora of Madagascar. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 477 pp.
- Sleumer, H., 1975. Flacourtiaceae. In: Polhill, R.M. (Editor). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 68 pp.
- Timberlake, J., 1996. Bivinia jalbertii. [Internet] Journal of the Tree Society of Zimbabwe December 1996. http://www.lind.org.zw/ treesociety/1996/ dec96.htm. October 2010.
- Wild, H. & Vidigal, M.P., 1973. Flacourtiaceae. In: Fernandes, A. (Editor). Flora de Moçambique. No 16. Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, Lisbon, Portugal. 39 pp.
Author(s)
- D. Louppe, CIRAD, Département Environnements et Sociétés, Cirad es-dir, Campus international de Baillarguet, TA C 105 / D (Bât. C, Bur. 113), 34398 Montpellier Cédex 5, France
- L.P.A. Oyen, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
Correct citation of this article
Louppe, D. & Oyen, L.P.A., 2011. Bivinia jalbertii Tul. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>.
Accessed 3 April 2025.
- See the Prota4U database.
