Kirkia acuminata

Description

It is a deciduous tree. It grows 6-16 m tall. It has a clean trunk. The branches are straight. The bark is grey and smooth when young but becomes corrugated in old age. The leaves are 10-45 cm long. The leaves have 6-10 pairs of leaflets. They are larger towards the tip. The leaflets are 2-8 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The flowering stalks are branched and hairy with several flowers. The flowers are pale green to cream and of 2 forms some being male and others female. The fruit are 1-2 cm long and about 1 cm wide. They are woody.

Edible Uses

The swollen roots are chewed to quench thirst. The fruits are also edible.

Traditional Uses

The swollen root is chewed to quench thirst.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

An infusion of the bark is taken as a remedy against vomiting and abdominal pain. An infusion of the root is taken to treat coughs. The pulverized roots are a remedy for toothache. The fruit sap is applied on wounds and is used as an antidote on snake bites.

Known Hazards

Frost damage.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in woodland on well drained soils. It is usually at about 1,200 m altitude but can grow up to 1,500 m altitude. It can grow on rocky soils and in a range of other soil types. They are drought resistant but damaged by frost. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. Seeds are sown in sand. They germinate in 8-14 days. Seedlings can be planted out at the 2 leaf stage. It can also be grown from large cuttings of branches.

Propagation

Seed - easy. Cuttings root easily.

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the bark is made into cloth. The heartwood is pale brown or green-brown, with an attractive dark brown veining; the up to 75mm wide band of sapwood is yellow-white or pale grey. The grain is usually straight, locally interlocked, the texture is fine. The wood is fairly light in weight, soft to moderately hard, moderately durable but the sapwood is susceptible to Lyctus borers. Thin boards dry easily, but thick boards are difficult to season; splitting and surface checking may occur. The wood saws easily, but rapidly blunts tools, due to the presence of silica crystals; frequent sharpening of cutting edges is necessary. It planes easily and turns fairly well; polishes readily; glues satisfactorily and slices and peels well. The wood is used for poles and planks, household utensils (bowls, spoons), carts, musical instruments, tourist items, veneer and plywood. In South Africa the wood is made into furniture and floor blocks. It is also considered suitable for light construction, flooring, vehicle bodies, cabinet work, interior trim, agricultural implements, boxes and crates, core stock, matches, toys and novelties, turnery, hardboard and particle board, and as pulpwood. The wood is made into charcoal. The tree is often planted to form a live fence.

Production

Plants are fast growing.

Notes

It is also put in the family Simaroubaceae.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Mubvumba, Mubvumira, Mulembalemba, Mutsakaridze, Mutuhwa, Mutumbi, Tumbue, Umila, Umvumile, Witsering

References (18)

• East African Herbarium records, 1981,
• Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
• Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 42
• Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 342
• Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A., and Seberg, O. 2007, Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. p 177

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