You are here
Species
Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Classified as Lower Risk/ near threatened (LR/nt) on the IUCN Red List 2002 (1).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/african-blackwood/dalbergia-melanoxylon/ |
Population
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/32504 |
Major Threats
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/32504 |
African blackwood is a deciduous tree, loosing its foliage in the dry season; flowers appear in the second half of the dry season (5). This tree is long-lived and extremely slow-growing (6). African blackwood is a vital component of the African savanna ecosystem; the nodules on the roots fix nitrogen producing a more fertile soil, the leaves provide vital browse for herbivores, and the extensive root system stabilizes the soil (6). Mature African blackwood trees are resistant to fire (6). Different parts of the tree have been used as herbal remedies over the years; the bark may be used to treat diarrhoea, the root is burnt for a smoke-inhalation cure of headaches and colds, and there are many other traditional uses of this important tree in different areas within its range (3).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/african-blackwood/dalbergia-melanoxylon/ |
The African blackwood has been highly prized for many centuries for the properties of its heartwood; the oily, fine wood was used by the Egyptians for tomb artefacts (5). The dark, resistant wood has been used to make utensils, and the Makonde tribe of East Africa make intricate carvings, which are now an important source of tourist revenue (5). African blackwood is possibly most famous however, for the manufacture of woodwind instruments. The unique properties of this heartwood are seen as vital for the production of top quality clarinets; it is dense, resistant, and produces a beautiful tone (4). The export of timber for the manufacture of musical instruments is an important source of income in countries such as Tanzania, where processed timber fetches up to US$13,000 per m³ (5). It is however, a highly inefficient process and up to 90% of a tree will be discarded as unsuitable (4). Whilst the mature trees are being harvested for this trade, younger specimens are under increasing pressure from man-made bushfires, which have increased in frequency as the land is cleared for agriculture (6). It is feared that the continued uncontrolled exploitation of the African blackwood tree will cause it to become commercially extinct within a few decades (5); it is already threatened in Kenya and noticeably scarcer within Tanzania (6).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/african-blackwood/dalbergia-melanoxylon/ |
This small, unassuming tree conceals one of the most sought-after and valuable heartwoods in the world. Stripping away the yellowish grey sapwood reveals the deep purple to brownish black core, this wood is extremely resistant and durable and is known variously as African blackwood, African ebony, 'poyi' and (in Swahili) as 'mpingo' (2). These trees are small and heavily branched, the trunks are seldom straight and many stems may be present; the rough bark is grey with many fissures, and the branches have small spines (2). Leaves are up to 22 centimetres long and carry small, oval-shaped leaflets (2). In season, the branches of the African blackwood tree are adorned with tiny, white, sweetly-smelling flowers born as clusters on inflorescences, which may reach 12 centimetres in length (2). The seedpods of this tree are flattened oblong cases that are roughly pointed, and contain one or two seeds (2).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/african-blackwood/dalbergia-melanoxylon/ |
The African blackwood is the National Tree of Tanzania; it is an immensely important tree, both culturally and economically, and the sustainable management of this tree is vital if trade in its heartwood is to continue (4). The African Blackwood Conservation Project (ABCP) was founded in 1996, it is working to cultivate young trees with the view to replanting them in areas where it has disappeared (5). Education is also a large part of their work, and the ABCP has set up school programmes in Tanzania to increase the awareness of local people for the conservation issues involved (5). Fauna & Flora International (FFI) have also been heavily involved with the conservation of the African blackwood tree, particularly through their Global Trees Campaign (4). It is hoped that adopting sustainable measures now will allow this ancient, musical tree to survive.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/african-blackwood/dalbergia-melanoxylon/ |
Large deciduous shrub or multi-stemmed, straggling tree. Small branchlets modified into spines. Leaves imparipinnate, clustered on small branchlets. Leaflets variable heart-shaped or oval. Flowers small, sweetly scented, white, in branched clusters, often appearing before or with the new leaves. Pods papery, not splitting.
Dalbergia melanoxylon (African Blackwood, Grenadilla, or Mpingo) is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to seasonally dry regions of Africa from Senegal east to Eritrea and south to the Transvaal in South Africa. The tree is an important timber species in its native areas; it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments[1] and fine furniture. Populations and genomic resources for genetic biodiversity maintenance in parts of its native range are threatened by over harvesting due to poor or absent conservation planning and by the species' low germination rates.[1]
It is a small tree, reaching 4–15 m tall, with grey bark and spiny shoots. The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternate, 6–22 cm long, pinnately compound, with 6-9 alternately arranged leaflets. The flowers are white and produced in dense clusters. The fruit is a pod 3–7 cm long, containing one to two seeds.
Contents
Uses[edit]
The dense, lustrous wood ranges from reddish to pure black. It is generally cut into small billets or logs with its sharply demarcated bright yellow white sapwood left on to assist in the slow drying so as to prevent cracks developing. Good quality "A" grade African Blackwood commands high prices on the commercial timber market. The tonal qualities of African Blackwood are particularly valued when used in woodwind instruments, principally clarinets, oboes, transverse flutes, piccolos, Highland pipes, and Northumbrian pipes.[2] However this notion is not universally held, especially by acousticians, who point out that the sound is produced by a vibrating air column, not the timber (which is merely a container), and that any contribution to the sound from the timber, although detectable with scientific measurements, is not audible. The timber is used mainly because of its machinability and dimensional stability. Deering Banjo Company uses Blackwood ("grenadilla") to construct the tone ring in its John Hartford model banjo. Deering indicates that this reduces weight versus brass/bronze tone rings, and that the wood "plays in" (improves in tone) with use. Furniture makers from the time of the Egyptians have valued this timber. A story states that it has even been used as ballast in trading ships and that some enterprising Northumbrian pipe makers used old discarded Blackwood ballast to great effect. The German knife company Wüsthof has also begun to sell a series of knives with blackwood handles due to the wood's moisture repellent qualities. Gresso, a cell phone manufacturer based in Russia, recently began selling luxury cell phones whose casing is made from African Blackwood.[3]
Due to overuse, the mpingo tree is severely threatened in Kenya and is needing attention in Tanzania and Mozambique. The trees are being harvested at an unsustainable rate, partly because of illegal smuggling of the wood into Kenya, but also because the tree takes upwards of 60 years to mature.
Relation to other woods[edit]
- African Blackwood is no longer regarded as ebony, a name now reserved for a limited number of timbers yielded by the genus Diospyros; these are more of a matte appearance and are more brittle.
- The genus Dalbergia yields other famous timbers such as Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), Dalbergia cearensis and cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa).
Names[edit]
Other names by which the tree is known include babanus and grenadilla, which appear as loanwords in various local English dialects.
Conservation[edit]
There are multiple organisations involved in the conservation of African blackwood: the Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative, the African Blackwood Conservation Project, and Clarinets for Conservation.
The Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative (MCDI, formerly the Mpingo Conservation Project) is involved in research, awareness raising and practical conservation of African Blackwood. Conservation of Mpingo and its natural habitat can be achieved by ensuring that local people living in mpingo harvesting areas receive a fair share of the revenue created, thus providing them with an incentive to manage the habitat in an environmentally friendly manner. In order to achieve this, the MCDI is helping communities to get Forest Stewardship Certification.[4]
The African Blackwood Conservation Project works around Mount Kilimanjaro replanting African Blackwood trees, and in conservation education. It also works with adult and women's groups in the promotion of environmentally sound land uses.[5]
Clarinets for Conservation is based in Moshi, Tanzania and aims to raise awareness and promote conservation of Mpingo through music education. Students participate in an interdisciplinary program during the summer months that raises awareness of the value of Mpingo through musical performances, classroom instruction, and tree plantings at local secondary and primary schools.[6]
Small growers in Naples, Florida have been successful in growing African blackwood there. Growth habit in Florida yields taller, larger trees, and the rich soil combined with ample nutrients and long growing season yields timber of superior quality at more sustainable rates. Hopefully, ventures like this will be able to take strain off of African reserves and allow this timber to be used in the future.[citation needed]
Footnotes[edit]
- ^ a b Amri, E.; Z.L. Kanyeka; H.V.M. Lyaruu; A.S. Nyomora (2009). "Evaluation of genetic diversity in Dalbergia elanoxylon populations using random amplified polymorphic DNA markers". Research Journal of Cell and Molecular Biology, (INSInet Publication) 3 (2): 71–79.
- ^ Most Expensive Wood, June 22, 2009
- ^ World's Most Expensive Cell Phones, October 11, 2010
- ^ "Welcome". Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
- ^ "Home". African Blackwood Conservation Project. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
- ^ "Our Mission". Clarinets for Conservation. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
References and external links[edit]
- World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). Dalbergia melanoxylon. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- ARKive - images and movies of the African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
- Tanzania: Protecting the World's Most Expensive Tree
- FAO factsheet
- Winrock Forestry factsheet
- Global Trees factsheet
- Mpingo conservation
- Sustainable Blackwood - the Sound and Fair campaign
- Some facts about the wood
- Direct source for local Mozambican African Blackwood
- ENVIRONMENT-TANZANIA: Protecting the World's Most Expensive Tree
- Online source for Mozambican African Blackwood
- [1]
- Dalbergia melanoxylon in West African plants – A Photo Guide.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dalbergia_melanoxylon&oldid=643735968 |
melanoxylon: with black wood.