Taxon:  Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.



Summary
Genus:
Dalbergia
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Dalbergieae
Nomen number:
405953
Place of publication:
A. Guillemin et al., Fl. Seneg. tent. 1:227, t. 53.  1832
Comment:
authorship of this family in Guillemin et al. is indicated on p. 271
Verified:
11/26/1996 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
3 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
No images


Conservation Status
CITES Appendix II – Vulnerable to Extinction
Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
  3. Carrisso, L. W. et al., eds. 1937-. Conspectus florae angolensis.
  4. Darbyshire, I. et al., eds. 2015. The plants of Sudan and South Sudan, an annotated checklist Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew..
  5. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. Note: mentions
  6. Devi Prasad, A. G. et al. 1994. Genetic diversity of Dalbergia species and their distribution in Karnataka, India. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 70. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
  7. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  8. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  9. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  10. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  11. Jardin botanique national de Belgique. 1967-. Flore du Congo, du Rwanda et du Burundi (Flore d'Afrique centrale).
  12. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  13. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  14. Ladipo, D. O. 1994. Dalbergia species of West Africa: botany, distribution and potential for agroforestry. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 32. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
  15. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  16. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  17. Nshubemuki, L. 1994. Recent progress in silviculture research on Dalbergia melanoxylon. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 48-57. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
  18. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  19. Sanjappa, M. 1992. Legumes of India
  20. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishAfrican blackwood  1Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
EnglishAfrican-ebony  1Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
EnglishChinese blackwood  1Devi Prasad, A. G. et al. 1994. Genetic diversity of Dalbergia species and their distribution in Karnataka, India. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 70. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
EnglishMozambique-ebony  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Englishpoyi  1Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
EnglishSenaar-ebony  1Devi Prasad, A. G. et al. 1994. Genetic diversity of Dalbergia species and their distribution in Karnataka, India. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 70. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
EnglishSenegal-ebony  1Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
EnglishSudan-ebony  1Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Portuguesepau-preto  2Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Swahili (Tanzania)mpingo  2Nshubemuki, L. 1994. Recent progress in silviculture research on Dalbergia melanoxylon. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 48-57. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
Swahili (Tanzania)mugembe  2Nshubemuki, L. 1994. Recent progress in silviculture research on Dalbergia melanoxylon. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 48-57. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
Swedishkongoträd  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaChad  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEritrea  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaLimpopo Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaMpumalanga Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBurkina Faso  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaCôte D'Ivoire  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCentral African Republic  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia w. peninsular 
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [Limpopo, Mpumalanga]
Naturalized
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India (w. peninsular)

Reference(s)
  1. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  2. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  3. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
EnvironmentalagroforestrypotentialNshubemuki, L. 1994. Recent progress in silviculture research on Dalbergia melanoxylon. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 48-57. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
Materialscarved material Nshubemuki, L. 1994. Recent progress in silviculture research on Dalbergia melanoxylon. In: Westley, S. B. & J. M. Roshetko, eds., Dalbergia: proceedings of an international workshop. Nitrogen fixing tree research reports special issue. 48-57. Note: Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas
Materialswood Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=405953. Accessed 11 May 2026.