Ocotea usambarensis


Ocotea usambarensis is a species of Ocotea, native to eastern Africa in Kenya, Tanzania, and locally in Uganda, where it occurs at 1600–2600 m altitude in high rainfall montane cloud forest. Common names include East African camphorwood, mkulo, mwiha, muwong, muzaiti, and maasi.
It is a large evergreen tree growing to 35 m tall, with fast growth when young. The leaves are opposite, elliptic to oval, 4–16 cm long and 2.5–9 cm wide, dark green above, pale below, with an entire margin and an acuminate apex. The foliage has a distinct scent of camphor. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish-yellow; the fruit is a small drupe 1 cm long.

Uses

It is an important timber tree, valued for the resistance of its wood to fungal decay.