A WONDERFUL BUT NEGLECTED TREE SPECIES IN ETHIOPIA

Cabbage Tree

Simon Shibru, Forest Genetic Resources Conservation Project/Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Research , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Introduction

How many of us are aware of the fact that a very important tree species, Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufodontii (1957), is in the process of disappearing from its natural environment in Ethiopia? How many of us ever thought that this species is native to the southern Ethiopia? The writer of this paper is very familiar to it since he was from a small village where the species is widely cultivated and used as a food. However, in spite of his long experience with it the writer has never realized that it is native to southern Ethiopia and also diminishing from time to time from its natural environment until a few days ago when he has got a chance to visit Moringa homepage.