''Malacantha alnifolia'' is species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology)">order Ericales">family (biology)">family of flowering plants belonging to th ...

. It is a tree native to tropical Africa. It is the sole species in genus ''Malacantha''.''Malacantha'' Pierre
''

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

''. Retrieved 7 June 2023. ''Malacantha alnifolia'' is a shrub to a medium-sized tree which can grow up to 25 meters tall. It has a fluted trunk and slightly buttressed base.

Range and habitat

Its range extends across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, and in coastal east Africa from Kenya south to Mozambique. It is generally an understory tree in lowland rain forest, groundwater forest, and riverine forest from sea level to 600 meters elevation. It grows in deciduous forest in the

Coastal forests of eastern Africa The Coastal forests of eastern Africa, also known as the East African Coastal Forests or Zanzibar–Inhambane forests, is a tropical moist forest region along the east coast of Africa. The region was designated a biodiversity hotspot by Conserv ...

, and in mixed deciduous forest in West Africa. It also colonizes woodland areas in West Africa. It is not found in the closed-canopy rain forests of West Africa and the Congo Basin.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q87158062, from2=Q87580216 Flora of the Afrotropical realm Chrysophylloideae Monotypic Ericales genera Plants described in 1877 Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre Sapotaceae genera