Included here is a coastal strip extending from southern Somalia to the mouth of the Limpopo River which varies in width from about 50-100 km. Two types of seasonal forest have been identified.

Zanzibar-Coast Deciduous Forest

Dry deciduous forests occur scattered along the entire length of Mozambique north of Massinga. They are characterized by trees such as Adansonia digitata, Afzelia quanzensis, Balanites maughamii, Chlorophora excelsa, Cordyla africana, Khaya nyasica, Millettia stuhlmannii, Pteleopsis myrtifolia, Sterculia appendiculata and the endemic Dialium mossambicense (Fabaceae), Fernandoa magnifica (Bignoniaceae) and Inhambanella henriquesii (Sapotaceae). Other endemic trees include Acacia robusta subsp. usambarensis, (Fabaceae), Cassipourea mossambicensis (Rhizophoraceae), Dolichandrona alba (Bignoniaceae), Grewia conocarpa (Tiliaceae) and Pleioceras orientala (Apocynaceae). The sub-canopy is usually well developed and often forms a thick almost impenetrable layer of deciduous and semi-deciduous shrubs including the endemic Salacia orientalis (Celastraceae). There is a form of semi-deciduous forest mainly confined to the sublittoral belt of ancient dunes, but its floristic composition varies considerable. Some of the more characteristic species include Celtis africana, Dialium schlechteri, Morus mesozygia, Trachylobium verrucosum and the endemic or near endemic Cola mossambicensis (Sterculiaceae) and Pseudobersama mossambicensis (Meliaceae).

Zanzibar-Coast Miombo Woodland

This, the most extensive type of woodland in this zone, is represented by a floristically impoverished version of Miomba dominated by various species of Brachystegia and Julbernardia globiflora. For example, Brachystegia spiciformis woodland is extensively developed on ‘Sol do Save’ sublittoral sand dunes between the Sabi and Limpopo rivers. Some of the endemic species found in these woodlands include the trees Carpodiptera africana and Grewia transzambesica (Tiliaceae), the shrubs Maerua scandens (Capparidaceae) and Tetracera boiviniana (Dilleniaceae) and the perennial herb Jatropha scaposa (Euphorbiaceae).

References

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