''Julbernardia seretii'', commonly known as the Congo zebrawood, is a species of

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

in the family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

. It is found in tropical West and Central Africa.

Description

''Julbernardia seretii'' is a large tree growing to a height of . The trunk is straight and cylindrical, up to in diameter, and without branches for more than half its height. The flowers are white and fragrant, and the fruits are large pods, the seeds weighing about .

Distribution

This tree is a constituent of tropical rainforest in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

, the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

and

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

Ecology

In the

Ituri Rainforest The Ituri Rainforest is a rainforest located in the Ituri Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The forest's name derives from the nearby Ituri River which flows through the rainforest, connecting firstly to the Aruwimi Rive ...

, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the dominant trees are ''J. seretii'' and ''

Gilbertiodendron dewevrei ''Gilbertiodendron dewevrei'' is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to tropical rain forests in Central Africa. It is often the dominant tree species of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. The timber is traded as ''limbali'', and is us ...

'', while in the

Okapi Wildlife Reserve The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. At approximately 14,000 km2, it covers approximately one-fifth of t ...

, ''J. seretii'' and ''

Cynometra alexandri ''Cynometra alexandri'', the Uganda ironwood or muhimbi, is a species of legume that occurs in tropical lowland forests of central and east Africa. They grow gregariously in drier forest types and as a constituent of swamp forests. They reach ...

'' are the most abundant. The seeds of this tree fall to the ground and dispersal is limited to a distance of up to from the edge of the crown. ''G. dewevrei'' has larger seeds () with more limited dispersal ability. In general, in forests where they are both present, ''J. seretii'' has the more numerous, faster growing seedlings but ''G. dewevrei'' the greatest presence in the canopy. The seedlings of both species can tolerate low light conditions, but among the saplings or taller, growth ceases in a higher proportion of ''J. seretii'' and mortality rates are considerably higher. This species also has a significantly lower lifespan than ''G. dewevrei''.

Uses

The timber of ''Julbernardia seretii'', known as "Congo zebrawood" in the export trade, is dark brown and used in joinery, furniture, cabinet work and as a

veneer Veneer may refer to: Materials * Veneer (dentistry), a cosmetic treatment for teeth * Masonry veneer, a thin facing layer of brick * Stone veneer, a thin facing layer of stone * Wood veneer, a thin facing layer of wood Arts and entertainment * ' ...

. It also has uses in construction, boat building, flooring, carving and turnery, as well as being used for making ladders, toys, agricultural implements, tool handles and other items. The bark is used to make sandals, cords, containers and roof tiles.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15527356 seretii Flora of Cameroon Flora of Gabon Flora of Nigeria Trees of Africa Taxa named by Émile Auguste Joseph De Wildeman