Balsawood tree, Pith-tree
Aeschynomene elaphroxylon

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows about 9 m tall. The stem is swollen and almost cone shaped. It has sticky hairs. The stem is soft. The leaves have 20-40 side leaflets and these are 1-3 cm long by 1 cm wide. They are oblong but flattened at the top and rounded at the base. There are some hairs underneath. There are 1-4 flowers on a stalk 1.3 cm long. The flowers are large and orange-yellow. The fruit are twisted pods. They are 10-14 cm long. They have lumpy hairs. The seeds are dark purple-brown. They are kidney shaped and 6 mm long by 4 mm wide and 2 mm thick.

There are 150 Aeschynomene species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in lakes and swamps. It is usually in water 1-2 m deep. It grows in east Africa from 500-1,000 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, North Africa, SE Asia, Senegal, Southern Africa, South America, Sudan, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

It grows very quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Ambatch, Cibungu, Masyila, Ngabo

Synonyms

Herminiera elephroxylon Guill. & Perr.;