About Celtis mildbraedii Engl.
Celtis mildbraedii Engl. is a forest tree species belonging to the plant family Cannabaceae; it was formerly classified under the family Ulmaceae. The tree has several common names: natal white stinkwood, red-fruited white-stinkwood, and natal elm. This species occurs more frequently in Tropical Africa than in Southern Africa, where it grows only in limited areas of South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. It is also distributed across forested regions from West Africa east to Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Tanzania. Approximately forty specimens of Celtis mildbraedii grow in Pigeon Valley Natural Heritage Park, located in Durban, South Africa. The southernmost known individual of the species is located in Ilanda Wilds Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti, South Africa. The fruit of Celtis mildbraedii turns red when it ripens, but viable seeds of this species are difficult to locate. In 2009, no natal white stinkwood trees were available from plant nurseries in South Africa, indicating the species was not being propagated, despite its rarity within the country. In Ghana, Celtis mildbraedii is a dominant tree species in moist semi-deciduous forests, growing alongside Triplochiton scleroxylon and Khaya ivorensis (African mahogany). The species was common in Ghana's Ajenjua Bepo and Mamang River Forest Reserves. In Uganda's Budongo Forest Reserve, the tree is harvested for timber and also serves as a food source for primates. A study of the correlation between seedling and adult tree densities of Celtis mildbraedii conducted at this reserve found that the species has a healthy natural regeneration pattern.
