''Cynometra alexandri'', the Uganda ironwood or muhimbi, is a species of

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

that occurs in tropical lowland forests of central and

east Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

. They grow gregariously in drier forest types and as a constituent of swamp forests. They reach some to in height, and larger trees often develop hollow boles and

buttress root Buttress roots, also known as plank roots or stilt roots, are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They may prevent the tree from fa ...

Taxonomy

According to (2019), ''Cynometra alexandri'' along with other mainland tropical African (but not all) species of the genus ''Cynometra'' should be excluded from the genus and will be transferred to a new as yet un-named genus in the future.

Distribution and habitat

In Uganda it is widespread in the lowland forests (below 2,000 metres a.s.l) in the Western Rift Escarpment, where it shows a tendency toward monospecific dominance. After initial colonising, a mixed forest would contain Uganda ironwood, '' Alstonia congensis'', '' Trichilia prieuriana'', '' Khaya anthotheca'' and '' Celtis mildbraedii''. When climax forest develops at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,200 m, Uganda ironwood becomes highly dominant. Though a common species, its range has been reduced by wood cutting, large scale farming and subsistence cultivation.

Uses

The durable and dull, reddish brown heartwood is resistant to termite damage or abrasion, while the greyish sapwood is permeable to preservatives. It is employed in industrial or heavy-duty

flooring Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. ...

, besides construction, marine work and for

railway sleeper A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper ( Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties trans ...

s. Due to its physical properties, such as bending strength, inter-node distance, and leaf surface area, the Muhimbi is favoured by

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...

s for their daily construction of sleeping platforms or "nests".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15461338 alexandri Flora of Africa