African Teak

excelsa: lofty, tall

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 yellowis midrin 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.

Very rare

Widespread in tropical Africa from Guinee-Bissau to Ethiopia and southwards to Angola and Zimbabwe