''Ocotea bullata'', (stinkwood or black stinkwood, af, Stinkhout, xh, Umhlungulu, zu, Umnukane) is a species of flowering tree native to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. It produces very fine and valuable timber which was formerly much sought after to make furniture. Due to over-exploitation it is now a protected species. Other names for it are Cape Walnut,
Red List of South African Plants Cape laurel, and laurel wood. The name "stinkwood" comes from a strong smell that is released when it is fresh felled.

Description

Afromontane forest canopy - giant Black Stinkwood tree - SA

It is a large,

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

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 ar ...

, that grows up to 30 m tall. The leaves are dark green and glossy, with bubbles (''bullae'') produced on the upper surface of the leaves, hence the specific name ''bullata''.
The flowers are often

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

Distribution

This tree is indigenous to the high forests of

, from Table Mountain in the south, to the afro-montane forests of

Limpopo Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature ...

in the north.
It has been effectively exterminated on the slopes of Table Mountain where it has been felled for timber and replaced by invasive

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

plantations. It is also frequently and fatally stripped of its bark, which is taken for use in traditional medicine. Consequently, it is now a Protected Tree in South Africa.

Uses

The tree yields a beautiful

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

much prized by cabinet-makers. The wood is dark walnut or reddish brown to black with a yellow sap-wood, and the grain extremely fine, close, dense and smooth. It is said to be as durable as

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...

. The tree is badly

overexploited Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term ap ...

and the wood is no longer available commercially.
It is one of the most popular plants traded for traditional medicine in

, mainly for its perceived effectiveness in treating urinary diseases.

Cultivation

''Ocotea bullata'' can be a very impressive tree for a larger garden or park. Care must be taken with their planting and they prefer a shady position but, once established, they are quite fast growing.
Stinkwood trees can be propagated with some difficulty from cuttings. It can also be grown from seed, which must be freshly picked, cleaned and planted immediately. Germination takes around 30 days.

Pests and diseases

''Ocotea bullata'' can be attacked by the fungus-like pathogen ''

Phytophthora cinnamomi ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called "root rot", "dieback", or (in certain '' Castanea'' species), "ink disease". The plant pathogen is one of the w ...

'', which causes dieback. Trees are more prone to attack in areas of indigenous forest that have been disturbed for commercial purposes. File:Ocotea bullata - Stinkwood tree - Cape Town 1.JPG, The clean, straight trunk of a young Stinkwood.

References

article from ''Veld & Flora''
*
Protected Trees in South Africa
*van Wyk, B. and van Wyk, P. 1997. ''Field Guide to trees of South Africa''. Struik, Cape Town {{Taxonbar, from=Q3643986 bullata Endemic flora of South Africa Flora of the Cape Provinces Trees of South Africa Endangered flora of Africa Protected trees of South Africa Afromontane flora Plants used in traditional African medicine