Common Name:

General Information

Brachystegia longifolia is a deciduous shrub or tree with a spreading crown, that can grow up to 30 metres tall. The straight bole often has conspicuous, rounded bosses[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of fibre, medicines and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Angola, southern DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland at elevations from 200 - 2,100 metres[]. Characteristic of leached quartz sand on hills[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds on poor soils[].
Trees respond well to coppicing[].
Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is taken for the treatment of bile problems and stomach-ache[].

The bark is steeped in cold water for half an hour and the liquid drunk as a treatment for worms or other stomach problems[]. Alternatively, the bark can be steeped overnight and used in the form of an enema[].

The leaves are pounded in water to make a bath for sick children[].

Other Uses

The inner bark is used for making rope; it was formerly used for making bark cloth. In Zambia the bark and root are used for making fishing nets and baskets[].
The bark is used to make bark cloth[, ]. For this purpose the trunk is stripped to a height of 2.5 - 3 metres according to the height at which the branches fork. The stripped trunk is smeared with cow-dung and wrapped round with plaintain leaves - a new bark soon forms which is ready to be used for bark cloth within 12 months. The third and fourth barks thus obtained are considered the finest in quality, though the tree might yield up to eight or more barks.
The thin outer bark is scraped off the inner bark and discarded. The inner bark is left during the night to dry, and any soft, pulpy substance is scraped off the inside. The strips of bark, which are some 120 - 180cm long and 45cm wide, are laid on a log with a flattened surface and beaten with a mallet until they are the thickness of strong brown paper, by which time they will be 180 - 270cm long and 120cm wide. It is then spread out in the sun to dry, the exposure to light giving the upper surface a tint somewhat like terra-cotta, while the underside is of a lighter shade. Any holes or flaws in the cloth are cut into neat squares and patched with pieces taken from the edges so deftly that in a well-made bark-cloth they are not noticeable. These cloths are usually made up into sheets 2.4 metres square, two lengths being stitched together and pressed in such a manner that the seam is not seen when the cloth is being worn. Strips of fibre from the dry plantain stem are used for thread[].

The wood is moderately heavy, moderately hard, susceptible to borers and not very durable. It is used to make tool handles, temporary constructions, fences and mine props[]. In papermaking trials the wood yielded pulp of poor quality[].
The wood is an important local source of fuel wood, and is also used for making charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed -

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