African blackwood
Dalbergia melanoxylon
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A climber. It can be a shrub or straggling tree. It grows 10 m high. It has many branches and many spines. The crown is irregular. The bark is rough and grey. It flakes off in small scales. The leaves are 8-20 cm long. There are 6-12 leaflets. The are 1-4 cm long by 1-3 cm wide and almost round. The group of flowers are in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. They can be 8 cm long. The flowers are white and have a sweet scent. They are small. The fruit is a 1-3 seeded pod. It is 3-7 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. It is thin and stiff and has lumps over the seeds. There are 8-10 seeds. They are 7-8 mm long by 1.5 mm wide. They are reddish-brown and glossy.
The wood is important for carvings and instruments. This tree legume forms nodules.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows at low altitude in seasonally dry mixed woodland. It grows in Miombo woodland. It grows up to 1,450 m altitude. It is rare in Swaziland. It often grows on termite mounds. In XTBG Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, China, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, India, Indochina, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves, bark
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from fresh seeds. They are transplanted after 5 months.
Trees are 4 m high after 7 years.
Its other names
Local names
Kansalu-salu, Mpingo, M'pivi, Mukulete, Pau-preto, Phingo, Rubo, Zebra-wood