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

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 fo ...

that occurs in tropical lowland forests of

central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

east Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the histori ...

. 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 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 prevent the tree from falling over (hence t ...

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 ''Khaya anthotheca'', with the common name East African mahogany, is a large tree species in the Meliaceae family, native to tropical Africa. The name ''anthotheca'' was taken from the Greek word ''anthos'', meaning flower, while ''theca'' refer ...

'' and ''

Celtis mildbraedii ''Celtis mildbraedii'' is a species of forest tree in the family Cannabaceae. It was previously assigned to the family Ulmaceae. These trees grow in limited areas of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. They are also found in forested areas fr ...

''. 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 tran ...

s. Due to its physical properties, such as bending strength, inter-node distance, and leaf surface area, the Muhimbi is favoured by chimpanzees for their daily construction of sleeping platforms or "nests".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15461338 alexandri Flora of Africa