''Michelsonia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the

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 ...

family,

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

, where it is classified in the subfamily

Detarioideae The subfamily Detarioideae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae (legumes). This subfamily includes many tropical trees, some of which are used for timber or have ecological importance. The subfamily consists of 84 genera, mos ...

. It is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus, the only species being ''Michelsonia microphylla''. It is native to the tropical rain forests of 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 ...

. The wood is used locally for construction work.

Description

''Michelsonia microphylla'' is a medium to large tree with a spreading crown, growing to a height of or more. The trunk is cylindrical and bare of branches for the first . It can grow to a diameter of about , the base flaring out a little and sometimes having small buttresses. The pinnate leaves are alternate and have ten to sixteen pairs of leaflets. The compound inflorescences are at the tips of the shoots and the individual flowers have white petals about long, and are followed by flat, glossy brown, woody pods up to long. These are so heavy that they sink in water. This tree is similar in appearance to '' Tetraberlinia baregarum'', with which it can be confused.

Ecology

This tree is one of several species in the family Fabaceae that form monodominant stands in the rainforests of the

, either singly, or in conjunction with ''

Brachystegia laurentii ''Brachystegia laurentii'', a plant in the family Fabaceae, is a species of large tree found in western Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It has a dense, umbrella-shaped cro ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' or ''

Julbernardia seretii ''Julbernardia seretii'', commonly known as the Congo zebrawood, is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. It is found in tropical West and Central Africa. Description ''Julbernardia seretii'' is a large tree growing to a height of . The tr ...

''. In 1983, it occurred throughout the

Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

. In the foothills of the

Rwenzori Mountains The Ruwenzori, also spelled Rwenzori and Rwenjura, are a range of mountains in eastern equatorial Africa, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The highest peak of the Ruwenzori reaches , and the range' ...

, between about , it was co-dominant with '' Staudtia stipitata'' and ''Julbernardia seretii'', and was abundant at higher elevations. However it has become much rarer and is no longer plentiful in its previous habitats.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q5438741, from2=Q15534369 Detarioideae Monotypic Fabaceae genera Trees of Africa Endemic flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Plants described in 1950 Flora of the Albertine Rift montane forests