Worm-cure albizia
Albizia anthelmintica

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub or tree. It grows 2-9 m high. The bark is smooth and grey. The young branches are smooth but can sometimes have a few soft hairs. There is usually a bent hook ate the end of most leaves. The leaves are compound. There are 1-4 pairs of leaflets along 1 or 2 leaflet stalks. The leaflets are 1-4 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The flowers are usually on leafless twigs. They are green. The fruit are pods 7-18 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They are straw coloured when mature. The seeds are about 1 cm across and round and flattened.

Also as Mimosaceae. It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in drier types of woodland. It can grow up to 1,000 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The roots are added to meat and milk based soups. The bark is used to curdle milk.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable, gum, roots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Balauta, Dzangua, Kyalundathi, Kyowa kisamba, Mesanga, Monoga, Munanzwa, Mwowa, Reydab, Xabasho

Synonyms

Albizia umbalusiana T. R. Sim; Albizia anthelmintica var. australis Bak. f.;