Chaetachme Explained

Chaetachme is a monotypic genus of flowering plants native to eastern and western Africa, including Madagascar,^[1] containing the single species Chaetachme aristata. Its English common name is thorny elm,^[2] and it is known as muyuyu in Kikuyu.^[3] Traditionally placed in the Elm family, it is more recently placed in the family Cannabaceae, thought to be possibly closely related to Celtis.

Chaetachme aristata is a shrub or small tree growing up to tall. It has drooping, angular branches covered with spines up to in length. The lance-shaped leaves are up to long by wide, pointed at the tip and smooth or serrated on the edges. The shrub is dioecious and sexually dimorphic, with male and female flower types borne on separate individuals,^{[1] [4]} although it may also be monoecious.^[5]

This shrub is host to the mirid bug Volumnus chaetacme.^[6]

The spiny branches of the shrub are used as fences in African villages.^{[3] [7]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: JSTOR Global Plants: Search Results. plants.jstor.org. en. 2017-08-01.
2. Web site: Trees & Shrubs of East Africa. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408185058/http://safaripatrol.com/species_trees.shtml . 2018-04-08. Safari Patrol.
3. Web site: Glossary. www.fao.org. 2017-08-01.
4. Web site: The management and ecology of Tanzanian forests Arusha Region. https://web.archive.org/web/20110813081852/http://celp.org.uk/webpages/projects/ecology/forest%20reserves/pdf/Arusha.pdf . 2011-08-13.
5. 10.12705/623.9. Molecular phylogenetics and character evolution of Cannabaceae. 2013. Yang. Mei-Qing. Van Velzen. Robin. Bakker. Freek T.. Sattarian. Ali. Li. De-Zhu. Yi. Ting-Shuang. Taxon. 62. 3. 473–485.
6. Linnavuori, R. . 1996. Taxonomic studies of the Miridae (Heteroptera) of Africa and the Middle East. Acta Universitatis Carolinae Biologica. 40. 321–350.
7. Bussmann, R. W.. et al. 2006 . Plant use of the Maasai of Sekenani Valley, Maasai Mara, Kenya. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2. 22. 10.1186/1746-4269-2-22 . free . 16674830 . 1475560 .