Bloodwood
Pterocarpus angolensis
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A medium sized tree. It grows to 16 m tall. The bark is dark grey. It has cracks along its length. The leaves are made up of 5-9 almost opposite pairs of leaflets and with one at the end. These are 2.5-7 cm long by 2-4.5 cm wide. The lower surface is hairy. They taper to a point at the tip. The base is rounded. The edges are wavy and tightly rolled under. The flowers are orange-yellow and pea-shaped. They occur in large branched sprays. These are 10-20 cm long. The fruit are a circular pod. The seed case is covered with harsh bristles. There is a broad wavy wing around this. This is up to 3 cm wide.
There are about 20 Pterocarpus species. They occur in the tropics. The tree is harvested because of its hard wood.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in woodland and wooded grassland. It grows up to 1,250 m altitude. In Tanzania it is only between 300-600 m altitude. It can tolerate acid soils. It must be in a frost free area. It grows on well drained soils. In Zimbabwe it grows between 840-1,620 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
Leaves are marketed but collected from wild trees. It is sold in local markets.
Edible parts
Leaves, vegetable
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by seed, cuttings or budding. Large branch cuttings 2 m long and 10 cm across can be used. It should be in a 1 m deep hole with sand at the bottom to prevent rots and enable roots to form. Plants need wind protection for the first two years. The roots of the tree spread widely.
It can grow 50-70 cm per year.
Its other names
Local names
Kiaat, M'bila, Mlombwa, Mokwa, Mtumbati, Mubvamakovo, Mubvamaropa, Mubvinziropa, Mukambira, Mukonambiti, Mukula, Mukurambira, Mukwa, Mulombe, Munkula, Mupyka-kulu, Mutondo, Nkosu, Nkula nkula, Ntete mbula, Padauk, Umbila, Umvagazi