Fabaceae
Burkea

Burkea africana Hook.

First published in Hooker's Icon. Pl. 6: tt. 593, 594 (1843)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to NW. Uganda and Cape Prov. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Tree 4–20 m. high.
Morphology General Bark
Bark grey to blackish, fissured and scaly.
Morphology Branches
Branchlets often rather thick.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves silvery when young; petiole with rhachis 7–32 cm. long; pinnae (1–)2–5(–7) pairs, (3.5–)6–20(–28) cm. long; leaflets 6–15, elliptic or sometimes ovate-elliptic or ± obovate, mostly 1.5–7.5 cm. long, 0.7–4.2 cm. wide, obtuse or rounded and somewhat emarginate at apex, ± asymmetric at base, appressed-puberulous on both sides (or rarely pubescent–see note below); petiolule 2–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white or pale green, in pendulous spikes 6–27 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals rounded at apex, erose and ciliate on margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals obovate-oblong, ± 4–5 mm. long and 2–2.5 mm. wide, rounded at apex, ultimately recurving.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 4–6.5 cm. long, 2–3 cm. wide, brown.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds elliptic, compressed, ± 9–12 mm. long and 7–8 mm. wide, brown; areoles ± 7–8 mm. long and 3.5–4 mm. wide.
Figures
Fig. 2, p. 22.
Habitat
Deciduous woodland; 270–1300 m.
Distribution
T1 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 widespread in tropical Africa, except for the forest regions, and extending southwards to South West Africa and the Transvaal
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian scrub woodland, Kalahari-Highveld regional transition zone; scrub forest., Sudanian woodland, Guinea-Congolia/Zambezia regional transition zone; wooded grassland., Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Tree
[ILDIS]

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Morphology General Habit
Tree 4–20 m high, the crown often flat, sometimes rounded.
Morphology General Bark
Bark grey to blackish, fissured and scaly.
Morphology Twigs
Twigs rather stout, with conspicuous raised leaf scars, when young covered with a fine dark red tomentum.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves: petiole and rachis together (3)7–24(32 in East Africa) cm long, appressed-pubescent to reddish tomentose when young, often becoming glabrous at maturity; pinnae (1)2–4(7 in East Africa) pairs; pinna rachis (3)7–16(23 in East Africa) cm long; leaflets 6–12(15 in East Africa) per pinna, (1.5)2.5–5.5(7.5) × (0.7)1.2–3.6(4.2) cm, usually immature at anthesis, ± obliquely ovate to rhombic, strongly asymmetrical at the base, obtuse to emarginate at the apex, usually silvery-sericeous when very young, becoming thinly pubescent to glabrous at maturity; leaflet petiolules 2–4(5) mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 5–30 cm long including the peduncle, sometimes branched, pendulous and usually ± clustered at the ends of young branches, usually appearing with the young leaves; peduncle and axis pubescent to tomentose with appressed or spreading, brown or reddish hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 4–5.5(6.5) mm from base to anthers, sessile, white or cream or occasionally greenish, pink or brownish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1.5–2(2.5) mm long, fused for third to two-thirds of its length, ± pubescent at least in its lower part, the teeth broadly rounded and ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4–5 mm long, but strongly reflexed about their middle after anthesis, 2–2.5 mm broad, rounded to somewhat pointed at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods (3.5)4.5–5.5(6.5) × 2–3 cm excluding the stipe, ± elliptic, slightly asymmetrical, brown; stipe 0.5–1.5(1.8) cm long; seeds 9–12 × 7–8 × 2 mm, elliptic to suborbicular, flat, brown, with areoles 7–8 × 3.5–4 mm.
[FZ]

Caesalpiniaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A deciduous tree attaining 60–70 ft. in height, with stout knotted branchlets,
Morphology General Bark
Blackish corrugated bark
Morphology Leaves
Light silky foliage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Pendulous spikes of small creamy fragrant flowers crowded with the leaves at the ends of the branchlets.
[FWTA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62021459/62021461

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use
Chemical products, Medicine, Toxins, Wood
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0