Piliostigma thonningii

(Schumach.) MIlne-Redh.

Camel's foot leaf tree

Fabaceae Edible: Pods, Seeds, Leaves, Fruit, Bark, Vegetable, Flowers Potential hazards — see below 1,506 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Piliostigma thonningii is a species of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Cercidoideae. Common names of this tree include camel's foot tree, monkey bread, monkey biscuit tree, "Rhodesian Bauhinia" or "wild bauhinia" (previously placed in that genus).

Description

It is a leafy shrub or a spreading tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It can grow to 12 m tall. The leaves are broad and lobed. The bark is rough and brown. The leaves are simple and can be 20 cm across. The tip of the leaf has lobes and the base of the leaf has notches. The veins spread out from this notch. The upper surface of the leaf is green and the lower surface a lighter colour and with red veins. The leaves are on thick stalks. The male and female flowers are carried separately. The male heads have fewer flowers than the female. The flower buds are fat and oval. They are velvety and in long strings on sturdy stalks. The flowers are 2.5 cm wide. Only one or two flowers open at one time in a bunch. They hang downwards and drop off easily. The pods are large and woody. They are up to 23 cm long by 8 cm wide. They are green but turn brown. They are covered with tiny raised lines. The pods do not break open but fall off. The pods and seeds are edible

Edible Uses

The pods and seeds are eaten, particularly when dried and when food is scarce. The young leaves are chewed to relieve thirst. The bark and dried leaves are brewed into tea. The pods are especially enjoyed chewed by children.

Traditional Uses

The pods and seeds are eaten when food is scarce. They are dried. The young leaves are chewed to relieve thirst. The bark can be used to make tea. The dried leaves are used for tea.

Medicinal Uses

The bark can be used to make tea, and the young leaves are chewed to relieve thirst.

Known Hazards

None mentioned.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in open woodland and often near streams. It grows in the Sahel. In Ethiopia it grows at low and medium altitudes especially between 900-1,700 m altitude. It cannot stand cold temperatures or frost and is tolerant of drought. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 400-1,200 mm. It can grow in arid places. It also grows on termite mounds. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds are removed from a dry pod by breaking it open with a hammer. The seeds are put in hot water and soaked overnight. Then they are planted. Seeds germinate in 5-10 days. Seedlings are transplanted when the first adult leaves appear.

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve 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. Suckers.

Other Uses

A fibre from the inner bark is used to make string, ropes and cloth. A red-brown dye can be obtained from the macerated bark. A blue dye can be obtained from the seeds and pods. A black dye is obtained from the roasted seed. The bark contains up to 18% tannins. The roots are a source of tannins. The inner bark is said to contain a gum that sweels in water and so can be used for caulking boats etc. The unripe seedpods are used as a soap substitute. The ashes of the plant are used for making soap. The seeds contain oil. No more information is given. The heartwood is pinkish to dark brown; the sapwood is light brown. The wood is straight-grained. It is used for poles, grain mortars, tool handles, spoons and bedsteads. The wood is used for fuel. A pioneer species within its native area, where it tends to colonize clearings and fallows. Since it is a legume, and fixes atmospheric nitrogen, it might be a useful species to use when restoring woodland or setting up a woodland garden. A deep rooting species that produces considerable amounts of leaf litter, it can be used in soil protection initiatives. The use of the leaf litter as a mulch enhances soil fertility because the leaves decompose slowly. The tree competes very little with maize if left in fields and pollarded to reduce shade.

Production

It grows slowly. Fruit are produced during the rainy season.

Other Information

The pod is especially chewed by children.

Notes

Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Synonyms

Bauhinia thonningii Schumach.Bauhinia reticulata Oliv. non DC.

Also Known As

Abu khamira, Baique, Bamhoun, Banguin-gnaanga, Barque, Barquedje, Barqueie, Boa, Bongue, Budandepe, Bufara, Bupande, Canna, Chitimbe, Cibumbe, Citimbo, Conono, Dabdi, Dawrake, Epamambo, Epandando, Epapai, Fara, Ihabahaba, Impukui, Kaghril, Kalkalla, Kalur, Kameelspoor, Kapokolec, Kargo, Khuf el jamal, Kifumbe, Kota karita, Mac'a, M'bukui mukui, Macaquece, Mansanca, Mansonca, Mchekeche, Mchekwa, Nchekwa, Mogoropo, Mokolokote, Monkey bread, Mubaba, Mudhombo, Muhuku, Mukuura, Musakasa, Musekesa, Musekese, Mussequessa, Mutukutu, N'tangre, N'toncre, Ogali, Olofoo, Opitipata, Pac, Panu-di-kankora, Pouunque, Qalqala, Titimbe, Untoncre, Yekallo wanza

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