Piliostigma reticulatum

(DC.) Hochst.

Camel's foot leaf tree

Fabaceae Edible: Seeds, Leaves, Pods, Fruit, Vegetable 371 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Piliostigma reticulatum, also known as camel's foot, is a legume in the Cercidoideae subfamily. It occurs throughout western tropical Africa to Ethiopia. The species has been shown to be useful as an intercrop for crops such as millet in the Sahel.

Description

A woody evergreen shrub or small tree. It grows up to 9 m high. The trunk is short and 30 cm across. The bark is deeply cracked. The leaves are alternate and have 2 lobes. The leaf stalk is 1-4 cm long and the leaf blade is 5-12 cm long by 4-18 cm wide. It is heart shaped or rounded at the base. The flowers are of separate sexes and 2.5 cm across. The fruit is an oblong pod 15-30 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. It can be straight or twisted. It is hard and woody. There are many seeds.

Edible Uses

The leaves are used for drinks and to flavor porridge and are acidic; the young pods are pounded and boiled for drinks. The bark and sap are used to purify water by helping coagulate cloudy matter.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are used for drinks. They are also used to flavour porridge. They are acidic. They are also dried. The fruit are used for drinks. The young pods are pounded and boiled. The bark and sap are used to purify water. They help coagulate cloudy matter in the water.

Medicinal Uses

Extracts of the species is used by locals as an antiseptic and to treat a variety of illnesses; root extracts are used by herbalists to treat diarrhea, gonorrhea, uterine pain, liver and gall pains while bark decoctions are used in the wound healing process. Extracts of leaves are used to treat a variety of issues including cough, bronchitis, and rheumatism. The species is also noted as a forage stock in the Sahel region; leaves, pods and branches are sold by farmers to herders for cattle fodder. A bark decoction is used in the dyeing process of bogolan cloths, while its fibrous bark is also used for tying roof rafters, basket and mat making. In Burkina Faso, young leaves are prepared, cooked and eaten.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in clay depressions and sandy loamy soil. It grows in the Sahel. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 200-1,000 mm per year. It can grow from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. It grows in savannah woodland. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sudan, West Africa,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed. The seeds germinate poorly and this can be improved by soaking them in hot water overnight. Seedlings can be transplanted 5-7 weeks after sowing.

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.

Other Uses

The roots are the source of a mahogany-coloured pigment. A red dye is obtained from the pounded roots. The seeds and pods are a source of a blue and a black dye. A fibre obtained from the bark is used to make clothes and ropes. The ashes of the plant are used in making soap. The bark contains 18 % tannins. The wood is reddish, darkening to brown. It is attacked by various insects including termites. The wood is usd for fuel.

Production

It grows slowly. It flowers in the dry season.

Notes

Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Leaves	78.3	276	66	4.8	—	—	—	—
Pods	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Synonyms

Bauhinia reticulata DC.

Also Known As

Bagen gnanga, Banguin-gu, Barque, Canna, Epamambo, Fara, Kalgo, Kossey, N'toncre, Nama tene, Pouunque, Untoncre

References (19)

Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 48
Ayantunde, A. A., et al, 2009, Uses of Local Plant Species by Agropastoralists in South-western Niger. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. Vol. 7: 53-66
Belem, B., et al, 2007, Use of Non Wood Forest Products by local people bordering the “Parc National Kaboré Tambi”, Burkina Faso. The Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies vol. 6, no. 1 p 9
Belem, M., et al, 2017, Strategy of Conservation and Protection of Wild Edible Plants Diversity in Burkina Faso. ANADOLU 27 (2) 2017, 82- 90
Bernholt, H. et al, 2009, Plant species richness and diversity in urban and peri-urban gardens of Niamey, Niger. Agroforestry Systems 77:159-179

Show all 19 references

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 3. Kew.
Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
Dansi, A., et al, 2008, Traditional leafy vegetables and their use in the Benin Republic. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:1239–1256
Flora 29:598. 1846
Food Composition Tables for use in Africa FAO http://www.fao.org/infoods/directory No. 523
Gallagher, D. E., 2010, Farming beyond the escarpment: Society, Environment, and Mobility in Precolonial Southeastern Burkina Faso. PhD University of Michigan.
Guinko, S. & Pasgo, L. J., Harvesting and marketing of edible products from local woody species in Zitenga, Burkina Faso. Unasylva - No. 168
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 28, 95, 155
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 198 (As Bauhinia reticulata)
Prodr. 2:515. 1825 (As Bauhinia reticulata)
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 123
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 21st April 2011]
Terra, G.J.A., 1973, Tropical Vegetables. Communication 54e Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, p 29 (As Bauhinia reticulata)
Zika, A., et al, 2015, Traditional plant use in Burkina Faso (West Africa): a national-scale analysis with focus on traditional medicine. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2015, 11:9