Albizia anthelmintica

(A. Rich.) Brongn.

Worm-cure albizia

Fabaceae Edible: Leaves, Vegetable, Gum, Roots 338 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Description

A shrub or tree. It grows 2-9 m high. The bark is smooth and grey. The young branches are smooth but can sometimes have a few soft hairs. There is usually a bent hook ate the end of most leaves. The leaves are compound. There are 1-4 pairs of leaflets along 1 or 2 leaflet stalks. The leaflets are 1-4 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The flowers are usually on leafless twigs. They are green. The fruit are pods 7-18 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They are straw coloured when mature. The seeds are about 1 cm across and round and flattened.

Edible Uses

The roots are added to meat and milk-based soups. The bark is used to curdle milk. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable, and a gum is also edible.

Traditional Uses

The roots are added to meat and milk based soups. The bark is used to curdle milk.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used in traditional medicine.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in drier types of woodland. It can grow up to 1,000 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

A plant of semi-arid areas of Africa, it is found growing at an elevation of 400 - 1,500 metres. It succeeds in areas with a mean annual temperature up to 40°c and a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 1,000mm. Prefers clayey soils but is also known to perform well in deep, loose red sand soils. Requires a sunny position. The tree is susceptible to wind damage but can withstand frost and drought. The species is becoming rare in the wild due to over-utilisation. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation

Seed - requires no pre-treatment and can be planted directly into pots at a rate of two seeds per pot. Germination occurs 3 - 4 days after planting with a success rate of up to 90%. This moderately fast growing tree with strong light requirements can be sown directly in sunlight. With this method seedlings for transplanting are ready in 60 days.

Other Uses

Tri- and tetra-saccharides from the plant, having triterpene prosthetic groups, possess potent molluscicidal activity. The bark is rich in saponins. It is used to coagulate milks. The twigs are used as toothbrushes for oral hygiene. The heartwood is an attractive, light red-brown colour. The wood used for poles, posts, furniture, implement handles, spoons, carvings and turnery. This tree is known to root deeply and has an important role in soil protection. A deep rooting plant, it has good intercropping potential.

Notes

Also as Mimosaceae. It is used in medicine.

Synonyms

Albizia umbalusiana T. R. SimAlbizia anthelmintica var. australis Bak. f.

Also Known As

Balauta, Dzangua, Kyalundathi, Kyowa kisamba, Mesanga, Monoga, Munanzwa, Mwowa, Reydab, Xabasho

References (17)

Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 34
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 70
http://aflora.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Molla, A., Ethiopian Plant Names. http://www.ethiopic.com/aplants.htm

Show all 17 references

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Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 128
Roodt, V., 1998, Trees & Shrubs of the Okavango Delta. Medicinal Uses and Nutritional value. The Shell Field Guide Series: Part 1. Shell Botswana. p 195
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 27th April 2011]
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