Colophospermum mopane

Colophospermum mopane, commonly called mopane, mopani, balsam tree, butterfly tree, or turpentine tree, is a tree in the legume family (Fabaceae), that grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of Southern Africa. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum. Its distinctive butterfly-shaped (bifoliate) leaf and thin seed pod make it easy to identify. In terms of human use it is, together with camel thorn and leadwood, one of the three regionally important firewood trees. Range and habitat It is native to Southern Africa, including Southern Angola, Zambia, Southern Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa. It grows in alkaline (high lime content) soils which are shallow and not well drained. It also grows in alluvial soils (soil deposited by rivers). Where it occurs, it is often the dominant tree species, frequently forming homogeneous stands. In Northern South Africa and larger adjacent areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe, with the trees' height varying between , they are often called "mopane scrub" (shrub). However, they can also sometimes grow taller in these areas, forming woodland. Further north the trees are taller and form tall woodlands referred to as cathedral mopane. This tree does not grow well outside hot, frost-free areas with summer rainfall. Mopane ecoregions There are two ecoregions where mopane is the predominant vegetation. The Angolan mopane woodlands are in southwestern Angola and northern Namibia, and the Zambezian and mopane woodlands extend over the lowlands of the Zambezi River and its tributaries in Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and South Africa.