Colophospermum is a genus of flowering tree in the legume family (Fabaceae), order Fabales, and is monotypic — represented by a single species, Colophospermum mopane, commonly known as mopane, mopani, the butterfly tree, turpentine tree, or balsam tree. The genus was described by Belgian botanist J. Léonard in 1949. Its name is a compound of Greek kolophon[ios] ("resin") and Latin spermum ("seed"), a reference to the aromatic, turpentine-scented compound in the seed; "Colophon" itself was Homer's birthplace in Ionia, historically famous for its rosin.
The tree is native to hot, dry, low-lying areas of Southern Africa, occurring naturally only on that continent, from around 200 m elevation in Mozambique up to 1,200 m in Zimbabwe. Its range spans two broad regions: the Angolan mopane woodlands of southern Angola and northwestern Namibia, and the more extensive Zambezian mopane woodlands across the Zambezi River lowlands, including Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Eswatini, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. Mopane is distinguished by its butterfly-shaped (bifoliate) leaves and thin, kidney-shaped seed pods, and it is often the dominant tree of the areas it inhabits, forming extensive homogeneous stands on clay, alkaline, or alluvial soils. Depending on soil and drainage conditions, it grows either as a tall, single-stemmed tree up to 15–18 m or as a stunted, multi-stemmed shrub known locally as "mopane scrub."
Mopane wood is exceptionally dense and hard, prized for termite-resistant construction timber, railway sleepers, and decorative parquet flooring, and increasingly for musical instruments as an alternative to African blackwood. The tree also plays a major ecological and economic role as the host plant of the mopane worm, a protein-rich edible caterpillar that is a significant food source and rural income generator across the region, as well as of other edible caterpillars and silk-producing moths. Its leaves are widely browsed by livestock and game animals including elephants and giraffes.
Etymology
Colophospermum combines Greek kolophon[ios] ("resin," from Colophon, Homer's rosin-famous birthplace in Ionia) with Latin spermum ("seed"), referring to the turpentine-scented seed. The sole species' name, mopane, comes from Bantu common names used across its range (e.g. Sotho/Tswana mopane/mophane, Tsonga nxanatsi, Shona musharu, Herero omutati), also spelled mopani or mupani.
Distribution
Native to Southern Africa only, found from about 200 m elevation in Mozambique to 1,200 m in Zimbabwe. Its range splits into the Angolan mopane woodlands (southern Angola, northwestern Namibia) and the more extensive Zambezian mopane woodlands across the Zambezi lowlands, spanning Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Eswatini, and parts of Namibia and South Africa.
Ecology
Grows on a range of soils — preferring deep, acidic, friable clay but tolerating shallow alkaline and alluvial soils — and is frequently the dominant species, forming homogeneous stands. Tree form varies with drainage: tall, single-stemmed trees (10–18 m) develop on well-drained sandy alluvial soil in open savannah, while poorly drained clayey or alkaline soils produce stunted, multi-stemmed "mopane scrub" (1–3 m). Requires hot, largely frost-free conditions with low-to-moderate rainfall (roughly 100–500 mm/year). It is the host plant for the mopane worm and other edible caterpillars, and its leaves are browsed by goats, cattle, and game animals such as elephants and giraffes.
Cultural Uses
Mopane produces one of southern Africa's heaviest, most termite-resistant timbers, long used for construction, railway sleepers, pit props, and decorative parquet flooring, and increasingly for woodwind instruments as an alternative to African blackwood. Twigs serve as traditional chewing-stick toothbrushes; bark, leaf, root and seed are used in traditional medicine and for tanning leather and making twine; wood is burned for charcoal and braai (barbecue). The tree hosts the mopane worm, a major traditional food source and rural income source, along with other edible caterpillars and silk-producing moths; psyllid infestation produces an edible leaf exudate known as "mopane manna."
Taxonomy Notes
Colophospermum J.Léonard (Fabaceae, Fabales) was published in 1949 (Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 19: 390) and is monotypic, containing only Colophospermum mopane — confirmed independently by both Wikipedia ("the only species in genus Colophospermum") and GBIF (numDescendants = 1).
