Cephalosphaera usambarensis

Botanical Description

Cephalosphaera usambarensis is a tree with a small, lightly branched crown; it can grow from 12 - 50 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for around 80% of its height, up to 150cm in diameter and sometimes slightly buttressed at the base[ 316 Title Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607. Publication Author Chudnoff. Martin. Publisher USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin. Year 1984 ISBN Description Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics. , The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber, which is often traded. It has sometimes been cultivated as a timber crop[ 610 Title Flora of Tropical East Africa Publication Author Beentje H.J. Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814 Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 2002 ISBN Description Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa. ]. A monotypic genus restricted to a few small areas in Tanzania and Kenya. The timber has been overexploited in the recent past and habitat degradation has also caused population declines. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].