''Buxus obtusifolia'' is a species of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

in the family

Buxaceae The Buxaceae are a small family of six genera and about 123 known species of flowering plants. They are shrubs and small trees, with a cosmopolitan distribution. A seventh genus, sometimes accepted in the past (''Notobuxus''), has been shown by ...

. It is found in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. ''Buxus obtusifolia'' is usually restricted to small dry wooded bush land areas extending from southeast Kenya to southeast Tanzania. Out of the three concluded pollen types, ''B. obtusifolia'' is categorized as a notobuxus type because of its "predominantly sculptured reticulate exine" as well as its zonocolporate grains. The genus ''Buxus'' has about 70 species of evergreen shrubs and trees found in habitats ranging from rocky hills to woodlands. The general characteristics of ''Buxus'' are small simple leaves, entire or toothed, alternately arranged or opposite on the stems. The wood is very firm and close grained, and is used for wood engraving and musical instruments. It has a yellowish color, very rarely splits, and has a good natural polish. ''Buxus obtusifolia'' is sometimes known as hutch. ''Buxus'' refers to the box or hardwood that can be obtained from the bark of Buxaceae plants. The family Buxaceae ranges from regions in Europe, Africa, Asia, Central America to the Caribbean. Buxaceae plants are perennial, living for more than two years before they die. ''Buxus'' plants consists of two categories; ''Eubuxus'' found mainly in Africa, Asia, and Europe and ''Tricera'' which reside in the Caribbean. ''B. obtusifolia'' is approximately six meters tall. It has small and simple leaves with an oval shape.

References

Govaerts, R. “Buxus Obtusifolia (Mildbr.) Hutch.: Plants of the World Online: Kew Science.” Plants of the World Online, Plants of the World, 1996, http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:128685-1. obtusifolia Vulnerable plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{eudicot-stub