Brachystegia glaucescens
Encyclopedia
Brachystegia glaucescens, known as Mu'unze and also as the Mountain Acacia is a medium-sized tree
with smooth grey bark, bluish-green leaves and small creamy-white flowers that produce copious amounts of pollen and nectar. It is almost always very close to upturned umbrella shaped with a partially developed flat top, making it easy to recognise in mixed woodland. In this it differs from most of the other Brachystegia
species that have variable shapes. The leaves are feathery in appearance, with around 10-12 leaflets arrayed along each leaf stalk.
and the less humid parts of east equatorial Africa. It reaches its southernmost extent around 21° S in the Runde
valley region of Zimbabwe
. It is a tree of inland regions thriving at altitudes of around 900 – 1750 metres. In the hotter, northern parts of its range it is found in drier types of woodland but further south it is found in both moist and dry open woodland. It prefers well-drained conditions and tolerates even very thin and rocky soils and so is usually restricted to hillsides and hilltops (not mountainous regions as such) rather than best positions in valley floors. In these positions, the tree is very easily recognisable due to its fluttering foliage, distinctive shape and flaky but smooth grey bark.
.
The seeds are enclosed in a purplish woody pod. The seeds are dispersed, as in other Brachystegia species, when the drying pod is split by increasing tension in autumn (about April to May or later), hurling the seeds from it.
" for B. glaucescens reflects the similarity of the tree's foliage to the feathery Acacia species that are also found in Africa. Unlike African Acacias, however, the Muunze has no thorn
s. The name is for instance found in a paper concerning the degradation of woodlands by elephant
predation and fire in the northern part of the Gonarezhou National Park
in SE Zimbabwe. The name Muunze is Shona
and is used in Zimbabwe
and Mozambique
.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
with smooth grey bark, bluish-green leaves and small creamy-white flowers that produce copious amounts of pollen and nectar. It is almost always very close to upturned umbrella shaped with a partially developed flat top, making it easy to recognise in mixed woodland. In this it differs from most of the other Brachystegia
Brachystegia
Brachystegia is a genus of tree of the sub-family Caesalpinioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as Miombo, and are the predominant tree in the Miombo woodlands of central and southern Africa.-Species:...
species that have variable shapes. The leaves are feathery in appearance, with around 10-12 leaflets arrayed along each leaf stalk.
Distribution
The Muunze is found all over south tropical AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the less humid parts of east equatorial Africa. It reaches its southernmost extent around 21° S in the Runde
Runde
Runde is an island in the municipality of Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island has a population of about 90 people, and it's connected by the Runde Bridge to the island of Remøya to the south....
valley region of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. It is a tree of inland regions thriving at altitudes of around 900 – 1750 metres. In the hotter, northern parts of its range it is found in drier types of woodland but further south it is found in both moist and dry open woodland. It prefers well-drained conditions and tolerates even very thin and rocky soils and so is usually restricted to hillsides and hilltops (not mountainous regions as such) rather than best positions in valley floors. In these positions, the tree is very easily recognisable due to its fluttering foliage, distinctive shape and flaky but smooth grey bark.
Ecology
The Muunze is nowhere common but is widely distributed in its range and grows to its maximum size where many other trees find the soil too thin or poor; about 14 – 16 metres depending on competition. It is a tree of open woodland in areas of contrasting wet and dry seasons, the longer the dry season, the more likely that the Muunze stands bare for a notable period. Like other Brachystegia species it needs a cool, dry resting period when it loses its leaves followed by a hot dry spell that revives the tree. At this time (usually August–September) the new leaves are produced. These are a pale to rich red colour that fade to green over about a week. The Muunze is therefore a beautiful sight in springtime but it does not compare to the much more striking show put on by the closely related MsasaMsasa
Brachystegia spiciformis Benth., commonly known as Msasa, is a medium-sized African tree having compound leaves and racemes of small fragrant green flowers. The tree is broad and has a distinctive amber and wine red colour when the young leaves sprout during spring...
.
The seeds are enclosed in a purplish woody pod. The seeds are dispersed, as in other Brachystegia species, when the drying pod is split by increasing tension in autumn (about April to May or later), hurling the seeds from it.
Name Usage
The misnomer "Mountain AcaciaAcacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
" for B. glaucescens reflects the similarity of the tree's foliage to the feathery Acacia species that are also found in Africa. Unlike African Acacias, however, the Muunze has no thorn
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
s. The name is for instance found in a paper concerning the degradation of woodlands by elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
predation and fire in the northern part of the Gonarezhou National Park
Gonarezhou National Park
Gonarezhou National Park is a National Park located in south-eastern Zimbabwe. It is situated in a relatively remote corner of Masvingo Province, south of Chimanimani along the Mozambique border. The park is a lowveld region of baobabs, scrublands and sandstone cliffs...
in SE Zimbabwe. The name Muunze is Shona
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
and is used in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.