Afzelia quanzensis

Afzelia quanzensis (pod mahogany, Afrikaans: peulmahonie, Venda: mutokota, Zulu: inkehli) is a species of tree native to sub-Saharan Africa. It ranges from Somalia and Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa. It is a protected tree in South Africa. It belongs to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the bean family Fabaceae.

Description

A large spreading tree. It is deciduous. It grows 12-15 m high but can reach 35 m high. The bark is greyish-brown and flakes off in round woody scales. This leaves pale patches. The leaves are alternate and compound. There are 4-6 pairs of almost opposite leaflets. The leaflets are oblong and 2.3-9 cm long by 1.5-6 cm wide. They are shiny and dark green above and paler underneath. They taper towards the ends and the edges are wavy. The flowers are in simple sprays. The stalks are jointed. The fruit are large, flat, thickly wooded pods. They are 10-17 cm long. Inside the pod is a white pith. There are 6-10 dark brown seeds up to 3 cm long and 1.2 cm wide. They have a scarlet aril.

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Used when young and still purple, they are pounded then cooked with native potashes. They form a mucilaginous product, known as 'thelele', which is well liked.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are pounded and cooked. They are slimy. The bark is used to provide potash.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The seeds are sometimes made into native necklaces and the timber is an ornamental hardwood, used in furniture, parquet flooring and railway sleepers. This plant may be used in traditional medicine.

Known Hazards

A basic poison has been found in the root of this plant. It has been reported that people have been killed by ingesting the roots.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in lowland woodland and dry forest. It is usually on deep sandy soils. It is very drought resistant but sensitive to frost. It grows in the savannah. In Brisbane Botanical gardens.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Egypt, Eswatini, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, North Africa, SE Asia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

Propagation

Seed - pre-treatment is not normally necessary, but scarifying the seed by making a small scratch in the outer black layer of the seed coat can speed up germination. The seeds are sown in flat seedling trays with a 5:1 mixture of river sand and compost and kept moist. Germination is usually good, reaching 90% after 28 days. Trees quickly produce a deep taproot and so should be planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small. When the seedlings have reached the 2-leaf stage, they are ready for outplanting. They must be protected from cold wind for the first 2 seasons. Mature and properly dried seeds can be stored in airtight containers at 3°c in a cold store for several years. Seeds 10 years old may germinate, but their viability will have decreased to at most 30%.

Other Uses

The black seeds, and the orange arils surrounding them, are often sold as curios or made into necklaces. The pods are 15 centimetres long, containing six or more hard, shiny black beans with an orange aril. The bark of most species in this genus is a source of tannins. Some pores of the wood contain a yellow dyestuff which, under moist conditions, can discolour textiles, paper, or other cellulosic materials. No records have been seen that it has been used as a dye. The light red-brown heartwood is clearly demarcated from the pale straw to whitish sapwood. The texture is moderate to coarse; the grain straight to interlocked; medium lustre; without characteristic odour or taste.The wood is hard, heavy, very durable. It is rather difficult to saw and machine because of rapid dulling of saw teeth and cutters, but it works well and takes a fine polish. It is used for heavy construction, flooring, exterior joinery, furniture and carvings. A good shade tree due to its short bole and large leaves. A taprooted plant, but its ability to mix with crops is unclear[392. It is said to have potential for agroforestry in Miombo woodlands.

Notes

There are 15 Afzelia species. They occur in the tropics. Also as Caesalpinaceae. It is important for timber and carvings.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Abaal, Chanfuta, Ihlene, Makola, Mkongowa, Mouco, Mpapa, Mpapadede, Msambamfumu, Mugogoma, Mugoriondo, Mujarakamba, Mukamba, Mungwingwi, Mutokota, Mwanda, Mwande, Peulmahonie, Pohon mahoni polong, Umkamba

References (26)

• Ann. Cons. Ultramar. (Portugal), Parte Não Off. ser. 1, 55:586. 1859 ("1858") (Apont.)
• Baidu-Forson, J.J., et al ,2014,. Assessment of agrobiodiversity resources in the Borotse flood plain, Zambia. CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. Penang, Malaysia. Working Paper: AAS-2014-12.
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 12
• Bunderson, W. T. et al, 2002, Common Agroforestry Species in Malawi. Malawi Agroforestry Extension Project, Pubication No. 46, Lilongwe. p 22
• Ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop Code 2881

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