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[[File:Neoapaloxylon tuberosum map.GIF|thumb|distribution in Africa (wild)]]
<big>''[[Neoapaloxylon tuberosum]]'' (R.Vig.) Rauschert</big>
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Neoapaloxylon tuberosum'' (PROTA)}}
:Protologue: Taxon 31: 559 (1982).
== Synonyms ==
*''Apaloxylon tuberosum'' R.Vig. (1949). == Vernacular names ==
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
The fibrous bark is used for rope. In the past the bark was used for making bark-cloth. The tuberous root is eaten. The wood is soft and white and is only used as fuelwood.
== Botany Description ==
Deciduous shrub or small tree up to 13 m tall; bole up to 40 cm in diameter; bark surface smooth and pale grey, with numerous lenticels; twigs glabrous, dark grey, with pale lenticels. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound with 10–16 leaflets; stipules minute; petiole and rachis flattened, 4–11 cm long; petiolules 1–1.5 mm long; leaflets alternate, oblong-obovate, (9–)15–30 (–50) mm × 7–15(–20) mm, unequal, glabrous, pinnately veined. Inflorescence a panicle, often many together in dense and complex clusters, branches up to 4 cm long, many-flowered. Flowers bisexual, regular, greenish white, sessile; hypanthium obconical, 0.5 mm long, resembling a pedicel; sepals 4, free, broadly elliptical, 3–3.5 mm long, concave, with obscure gland dots; petals absent; stamens 10, free, 5–8 mm long; disk prominent, yellow-green; ovary superior, c. 1 mm long, with stipe c. 1 mm long, glabrous, style slender, c. 5 mm long. Fruit an indehiscent pod 4.5–6 cm long, with 3–5 mm long stipe, glabrous, pale brown, with a single apical seed and a large basal wing, with persistent sepals at base. Seed oblong-ovate, flat, 13–15 mm long, reticulately veined, blackish brown.
== Other botanical information ==
''Neoapaloxylon tuberosum'' flowers when it is leafless and is then very conspicuous because of the profusion of flowers. Flowers appear at the start of the dry winter and fruits mature before the leaves appear. The fruits, which strongly resemble those of maples (''Acer'') except that the seed is at the apex and the wing at the base, are dispersed by wind. The wing causes the fruit to spin rapidly and fall slowly.
The genus ''Neoapaloxylon'' comprises 3 species and the bark of all 3 is used for rope. ''Neoapaloxylon madagascariense'' (Drake) Rauschert is a tree up to 15 m tall. ''Neoapaloxylon mandrarense'' Du Puy & Rabev. is a shrub or small tree 3–5 m tall. The root is eaten. The genus ''Neoapaloxylon'' is very close to another Madagascan endemic genus ''Brandzeia'', which has a single species, ''Brandzeia filicifolia'' Baill., a tree of up to 25 m tall that is used for timber.
== Description =''Neoapaloxylon madagascariense'' = == Growth and development == ''[[Neoapaloxylon madagascariense]]'' (Drake) Rauschert is a tree up to 15 m tall.
=== ''Neoapaloxylon mandrarense'' ===
''[[Neoapaloxylon mandrarense]]'' Du Puy & Rabev. is a shrub or small tree 3–5 m tall. The root is eaten.
=== ''Brandzeia filicifolia'' ===
The genus ''Neoapaloxylon'' is very close to another Madagascan endemic genus ''Brandzeia'', which has a single species, ''[[Brandzeia filicifolia]]'' Baill., a tree of up to 25 m tall that is used for timber.
== Ecology ==
== Author(s) ==
* C.H. Bosch , PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
== Correct citation of this article ==
Bosch, C.H., 2011. '''Neoapaloxylon tuberosum''' (R.Vig.) Rauschert. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. In : Brink, M. & Achigan-Dako, E.G. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>.
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