''Polyscias fulva'' is a 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 Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Araliaceae The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants commonly called the ginseng family. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely ...

'' (ginseng). It is an evergreen or deciduous tree, native to the mountains of tropical Africa and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula.

Description

''Polyscias fulva'' is a deciduous or evergreen tree, with a straight trunk and a small umbrella-shaped crown. It can grow to in height. It has a straight trunk, which is unbranched for most of its height. The trunk is unbutressed, and can grow up to in diameter. The foliage is composed of large compound leaves, which grow in bunches at the top of the branches. The leaflets are dark green on the top, and white and

tomentose Trichomes (; ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...

on the underside. It is similar in form and foliage to ''

Polyscias kikuyuensis ''Polyscias kikuyuensis'', also called the parasol tree and mutati, is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It is endemic to Kenya, where its wood is used to make boxes and similar items. The species is confined to wet upland forest, and ...

'', but is distinguished by its flowers. The tree is typically fast-growing. In plantations in Cameroon, seedings can grow to in height within four years, and within 20 years can grow up to high with a trunk diameter of .

Habitat and range

''Polysicas fulva'' is generally found in mountain forests, from elevation. It grows best where the average daytime temperature ranges from and average annual rainfall is from , but it can tolerate average daytime temperatures of , and average annual rainfall of . It prefers well-drained sandy to loamy soil, with a pH ranging from 5 to 6.5, and can tolerate a pH of 4.5 to 7. It is found in montane rain forests, submontane forests, riverine forests, and mountain grasslands. It is a pioneer tree which grows rapidly in areas which have been cleared or burned, although it is sensitive to fire. It ranges across much of tropical Africa. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in West Africa, and across Subsaharan Africa from Ghana eastwards to Ethiopia, and southwards to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Angola. It is also found on the southwestern Arabian Peninsula in

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

Uses

The wood is lightweight and easily worked, but brittle and not durable. It is used in household objects and handicrafts, and for firewood. The tree's fast-growing habit makes it a useful tree in reforestation projects. It forms a rich leaf mulch on the ground below which improves soil. Its tall crown makes it useful in crop plantations which prefer light shade, including coffee, cocoa, and bananas, and it is often left uncut when forest areas are cleared for cultivation. The flowers are a good source of nectar and pollen for

honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the c ...

Conservation

The tree is widespread in suitable mountain habitats across Africa, and is assessed as 'Least Concern' in the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

. The tree is becoming locally scarce in parts of its range where deforestation and fire are rampant.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15555196 fulva Afromontane flora Taxa named by William Philip Hiern