Dalbergia baronii
| Dalbergia baronii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Dalbergia |
| Species: | D. baronii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dalbergia baronii Baker.
| |
Dalbergia baronii [1] is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar.[2] It is named after the English missionary and botanist Rev. Richard Baron.
Description
Vegetative characters
Dalbergia baronii is a shrub to large tree. The leaves are imparipinnate, 3–7.5 cm long, and have a hairy rachis. The 19–25 alternate leaflets are 0.5–2 cm long, mostly glabrous and glossy above, and with dense and long hairs beneath.[2]
Generative characters
It forms axillary inflorescences that are paniculate and distinctively shorter than the subtending leaves. The flowers are white, 4–5 mm long, and have a violin-shaped standard petal and pubescent gynoecium. The fruits usually contain one seed (rarely up to three seeds). The pericarp is "indistinctly veined, slightly thickened, corky and fissured over the seed".[2]
Similar species
Habitat and distribution
Dalbergia baronii inhabits evergreen lowland forests, marshes and mangrove stands along the East coast of Madagascar.[2] It occurs from sea level up to 150 m, rarely up to an elevation of 600 m.[2]
Uses
It produces a durable, black-striped heartwood[3] that is locally used for cabinet making, furniture and marquetry.[2] It was internationally traded, notably to produce guitar bodies and fingerboards,[3] amongst others.
Conservation status
The IUCN Red List lists Dalbergia baronii as vulnerable.[4] Its natural stands have drastically declined in response to both habitat loss and selective logging.[5] The natural habitat of Dalbergia baronii is among the most threatened Malagasy habitats.[6]
Due to overexploitation and the risk of confusion with similar species, Dalbergia baronii and other Dalbergia species from Madagascar were listed in CITES Appendix II[7] in 2013, currently with a zero export quota.[8]
See also
- Dalbergia maritima, also found only in Madagascar, and similarly threatened.
References
- ^ "Dalbergia baronii". Catalogue of the Plants of Madagascar - Tropicos. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Bosser, J. & Rabevohitra, R. (2002). "Tribe Dalbergieae". In Du Puy, D.J. (ed.). The Leguminosae of Madagascar. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p. 329. ISBN 1-900347-91-1.
- ^ a b "Madagascar Rosewood". The Wood Database. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ Du Puy, D.J. (1998). "Dalbergia baronii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T33955A9824813. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33955A9824813.en.
- ^ Schuurman D, Lowry II P (2009). "The Madagascar rosewood massacre". Madagascar Conservation & Development. 4 (2): 98–102.
- ^ Ganzhorn J, Lowry II P, Schatz G, Sommer S (2001). "The biodiversity of Madagascar: one of the world's hottest hotspots on its way out". Oryx. 35 (4): 346–348. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3008.2001.00201.x.
- ^ "CITES appendices I, II and III". Convention on International Trade in Endagered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ How CITES works