Common Name:

General Information

Brachystegia utilis is a deciduous tree with a dense, much-branched, roundish or flattish crown; it usually grows 6 - 15 metres tall, occasionally to 20 metres[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild as a local source of fibre.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

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

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, locally dominant or co-dominant; typically in zones or groups on ridges, scarps and slopes, notably in shallow, stony or gritty soils over granite, etc.; flat sandy areas; below Brachystegia microphylla; etc[].

Properties

Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

None known

Other Uses

The fibrous bark has been used to make cloth and string[].
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[].

Propagation

Seed -

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