Xanthocercis

Xanthocercis
Foliage and ripe fruit of X. zambesiaca
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Angylocalyceae
Genus: Xanthocercis
Baill. (1870)
Species[1]
Synonyms[1]

Pseudocadia Harms (1902)

Xanthocercis is a tree genus in the family Fabaceae. It includes three species native to sub-Saharan Africa.[1][2][3]

  • Xanthocercis madagascariensis Baill. — endemic to Madagascar;[4] a deciduous tree, growing up to 30 metres tall.[5] The wood is highly valued, being harvested from the wild for local use and for export. The tree also provides an edible fruit that is used locally.
  • Xanthocercis rabiensis Maesen[6] — endemic to Gabon; a large, evergreen tree growing up to 40 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 300 cm in diameter.
  • Xanthocercis zambesiaca (Baker) Dumaz-le-Grand (Mshatu tree) — native to Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe;[7] a large impressive, evergreen tree with an exceptional dense, rounded to wide-spreading crown of glossy, drooping, dark green leaves and sprays of small rose-scented, creamy white flowers.[8] It usually reaches 30m in height.[8] It is ideal for large gardens.

Members of this genus accumulate hydroxypipecolic acids and iminosugars in their leaves.[9]

  1. ^ a b c Xanthocercis Baill. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. ^ "ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Xanthocercis". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  3. ^ USDA; ARS; National Genetic Resources Program. "GRIN species records of Xanthocercis". Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Xanthocercis madagascariensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Xanthocercis madagascariensis - Useful Tropical Plants". tropical.theferns.info. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  6. ^ PlantSystematics.org: Xanthocercis[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Xanthocercis zambesiaca". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Xanthocercis zambesiaca | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  9. ^ Kite GC, Cardoso D, Lewis GP, Zartman CE, de Queiroz LP, Veitch NC (2015). "Monomethyl ethers of 4,5-dihydroxypipecolic acid from Petaladenium urceoliferum: Enigmatic chemistry of an enigmatic legume". Phytochemistry. 116: 198–202. Bibcode:2015PChem.116..198K. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2015.02.026. PMID 25817832.