Sumach bean, Sumach elephant-root
Elephantorrhiza burkei
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It can be 30 cm high or 6 m high. It can have several stems. It loses its leaves during the year. The bark is dark grey to red. The leaves are like acacia. They are twice compound. They have 4-8 pairs of pinnae and 12-36 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are 7-17 mm by 2-3.5 mm. The flowers are in creamy white spikes. They are 5-10 cm long. The fruit is a flat woody pod 10-19 cm long by 2-4 cm wide.
Also as Mimosaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows on rocky hill slopes. It grows between 970-1,370 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit