Small-leaved kiaat, Small-leaved bloodwood
Pterocarpus lucens

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It often becomes shrubby. It grows 7-10 m high. The bark is smooth and pale grey and flakes like guava bark. The leaves are made up of 2-4 pairs of opposite leaflets and one leaflet at the end. The leaflets are small and oval. They are 2-3 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. Sometimes they are larger. They are light green and droop. The base is unequal. The flowers are pale yellow and pea-shaped. They are in long slender sprays. These are 7-22 cm long. The fruit is a small oval flattened pod. It is 5 cm long by 3 cm wide. It has a swelling over the seed case. There is a hard wing like a membrane.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in low altitude woodland. It is often on deep, sandy soils. It grows in dry savannah between the Sahara and Sahel in West Africa. It needs between 300-700 mm of rain each year. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young leaves are used as a vegetable. They are also used in sauces.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Dhiek, Doringkiaat, Macuar, Mobungo, Mutembero, Taraya, Tiage

Synonyms

Pterocarpus abyssinicus Hochst. ex A. Rich.; Pterocarpus antunesii (Taub.) Harms; Pterocarpus lucens Lepr. ex Guill. & Perr. var. simplicifolius (Baker) A. Chev.; Pterocarpus simplicifolius Bak.; Pterocarpus stevensonii Burtt Davy;