Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C.C. Berg

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Photo: Bart Wursten
National Botanic Garden, Harare.

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Synonyms:	Chlorophora alba A. Chev. Chlorophora excelsa (Welw.) Benth. & Hook. f. Chlorophora tenuifolia Engl. Milicia africana Sim Morus excelsa Welw.
Common names:	Iroko (English) Mvule (Shona)
Frequency:	Very rare
Status:	Native
Description:	Medium to large tree. Bark pale grey, rough and flaking in to squarish pieces. Leaves elliptic to oblong with an acuminate tip, dark green with conspicuous yellowish midrib and veins; base more or less cordate. Flowers unisexual on different trees. Male spikes much longer (8-20 cm) than the female (2-3 cm). Fruit fleshy, ellipsoid, mulberry-like, brown when ripe.
Notes:	Confined to the Haroni / Rusitu area and to the Chilojo Cliffs by the Runde river in Gonarezhou, where there are only a handful of mature trees.
Derivation of specific name:	excelsa: lofty, tall
Habitat:	In moist forest.
Altitude range: (metres)	300 - 500 m
Flowering time:	Aug - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa from Guinea-Bissau to Ethiopia and southwards to Angola and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe distribution:	E,S
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:	Endangered
Insects associated with this species:	Cyrestis camillus sublineata (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Tuesday 9 September 2014
Literature:	Berg, C.C. (1991). Moraceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6) Pages 16 - 18. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2003). Figs of Southern and South-Central Africa Umdaus Press, South Africa Pages 327 - 331. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 73. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 39. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 130. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 234. As Chlorophora excelsa Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 166. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 63. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 80. White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 393 - 395. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Milicia excelsa:

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Flora of Burundi: Milicia excelsa
Flora of Malawi: Milicia excelsa
Flora of Mozambique: Milicia excelsa
Flora of Zambia: Milicia excelsa

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Milicia excelsa
African Plant Database: Milicia excelsa
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Milicia excelsa
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Milicia excelsa
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Milicia excelsa
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Milicia excelsa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Milicia excelsa
JSTOR Plant Science: Milicia excelsa
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Milicia excelsa
Plants of the World Online: Milicia excelsa
Tropicos: Milicia excelsa
Wikipedia: Milicia excelsa