Malvaceae FAMILY

Sterculia quinqueloba

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Sterculia quinqueloba is a deciduous shrub or, more commonly, a small tree growing from 2.7 - 25 metres tall with exceptional specimens to 40 metres. The bole, which is normally straight and cylindrical, is branchless for up to 4.5 metres and can be 60 - 100cm in diameter[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. , 610 Title Flora of Tropical East Africa Publication Author Beentje H.J. Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814 Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 2002 ISBN Description Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for its gum, which can be used as a Gum Arabic substitute. The timber is often harvested commercially after more valuable trees have been removed. The wood is used locally and also as a fuel. The tree is sometimes grown as an ornamental and to provide shade[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeSouthern Africa - Angola, DR Congo and Tanzania south to Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

HabitatIn dry woodland at low altitudes including the coastal plain of Mozambique, but also common on rocky outcrops and hills in Brachystegia woodland at elevations from sea level to 1,650 metres[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. , 610 Title Flora of Tropical East Africa Publication Author Beentje H.J. Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814 Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 2002 ISBN Description Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa. ].