Common Name: African Kino

General Information

Pterocarpus erinaceus is a deciduous tree with a high, open, few-branched crown; usually growing 12 - 15 metres tall with some specimens reaching 25 metres[, ]. The bole is straight and cylindrical under good conditions, but is often twisted, fluted and low-branched under poorer conditions[]. It is slightly buttressed when old and up to 75cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree produces one of the finest woods in the regions where it grows - the wood usually being utilized locally and traded internationally[, ]. It is one of the three major species used as Hongmu (red wood) timber, used for producing high quality Chinese furniture following traditions from the Ming and Quing dynasty[]. The tree also provides a range of medicinal uses, tannins and dyestuff for the local population. The resin obtained from the tree used to be exported to Europe for medicinal usage, but has now been replaced by newer drugs.
The tree has been seriously over-exploited in the past, attempts have been made at reforestation of the savannah and the establishment of stands on farms[]. The tree has considerable potential as an ornamental; it is completely covered with copious racemes of bright golden yellow flowers during the dry season, these fall to create a golden carpet beneath the trees with the new leaves then being produced so the shade is quickly restored[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Central African Republic.

Habitat

Open country, wooded savannah, woodland; also edges of dense humid forest; sometimes on shallow soils; gravelly and lateritic soils, often at foot of slopes; at elevations from 200 - 1,030 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of semi-arid to sub-humid tree savannah in the tropics, where it is usually found at elevations up to 600 metres, exceptionally to 1,200 metres[]. It grows best in areas with a mean annual temperature of 15 - 32°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 600 - 1,200mm, but can tolerate up to 1,600mm annual rainfall. It can tolerate up to 4,000mm of rain[]. It grows naturally in areas with a long dry season of up to 9 months[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Tolerant of most soil types, but prefers a light to medium, free-draining, acid to neutral soil[]. Succeeds on poor shallow soils, though growth is often stunted[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 5.5, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
Young plants often grow away slowly, with two year old seedlings usually only reaching 42 - 100cm in height[]. In northern Cote d'Ivoire planted seedlings had an average height of 9 cm after 3 months, 50 cm after 18 months, 2.8 metres after 2.5 years, 4.4 metres after 4.5 years and 5.5 metres after 5.5 years. The fastest growing tree was 10 metres tall after 5.5 years[].
Trees respond well to coppicing, recovering well and growing more than 1 metre per year[].
Coppicing at a height of 10 cm above ground has been recommended as a means of harvesting wood and fodder, but a coppicing height of 50 cm has also been recommended[]. Trees do not resprout well when coppiced at ground level[]l. To avoid browsing of new growth, cutting at a height of over 1.5 metres seems recommendable[].
This species is one of several that supply a red resin from their stem. This resin, often known as 'Dragon's Blood' is often used as an external application to treat a range of skin problems and injuries[]. Dragon's Blood can be obtained from several species in this genus, as well as from three other distinct genera - Dracaena species, Croton species and Daemonorops species[]
The flowers are much visited by bees, which are probably responsible for pollination[].
The tree may produce so many fruits that when the fruits are green it looks as if the tree is covered with leaves[].
Natural regeneration is often abundant and the species may be quite invasive if protected from grazing for some years[].
The plant can survive annual bush fires[].
The roots have nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria. However, this species has low nitrogen-fixation potential in comparison with several other leguminous trees[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Seeds - cooked[]. The seed needs to be thoroughly cooked in order to avoid emetic or intoxicating effects[].

Medicinal

The tree, and especially the resin, is commonly used in traditional medicine in Africa. Some research has been carried out into the medicinal properties of the tree, much of which has confirmed the traditional uses.
The bark exudate quickly hardens upon exposure to air. It contains 30 - 80% kinotannic acid, which is a strong astringent[].
Bark extracts have shown in-vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities against several human pathogens. In tests they blocked the ovulation and oestrus cycle through antigonadotropic activity[].
Moderate in-vitro antimalarial activity of the bark extract was also demonstrated against strains of Plasmodium falciparum[].
The effectiveness of the bark as a wound-healing agent was confirmed in tests, and the activity may be explained by the presence of phenolic compounds that have an effect on the immune system[].
The bark has shown significant antioxidant activity[].
Water and methanol extracts showed in-vitro inhibitory activities against Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the latter being a causative agent of tuberculosis[].

The resin, known as kino, is astringent and haemostatic. It is taken internally to treat diarrhoea including dysentery, fever, gonorrhoea and intestinal worm infections[].
Externally, the resin is used to treat eye complaints, ulcers and sores[].

Decoctions or infusions of the bark or roots are used in the treatment of bronchial infections, toothache, dysentery, menstruation complaints, anaemia, gonorrhoea, post-partum haemorrhage, ringworm infections, leprosy, wounds, tumours and ulcers, and as an anti-emetic, purgative and tonic[].
Root preparations are administered as an enema to treat venereal diseases[].

Leaf decoctions are used to treat fever, syphilis and are used as an aphrodisiac[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A natural pioneer species in its native habitat, readily invading fallow land. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen, though is fairly slow-growing when young[, ].
The tree has potential for use as live fencing[].
The tree is the source of a good quality nectar for bees[].

Other Uses

Kino, a red substance resembling resin, is obtained by tapping the heartwood. It is rich in tannins and can be used as a red dye and medicinally as an astringent[, ].
The heartwood is a source of a red dye, which is used for dying cloth, the body or hair[, , , ].
The dyestuff is pulverized and mixed with water, the cloth dipped and dried and shea oil or palm oil rubbed in to produce a dark purple colour[].
The bark is occasionally used for tanning[].
The reddish bark exudate ('kino') is beaten onto cloth with a mallet to give it a glaze[].

Decoctions of the leaves are used as insect repellents[].

The heartwood is yellowish brown to reddish brown, often with purplish brown streaks; it is distinctly demarcated from the 2 - 8cm thick, yellowish or pale cream-coloured sapwood. The grain is straight to interlocked, texture fine to moderately coarse; fresh wood has an unpleasant aroma. The wood is moderately heavy to very heavy; hard; very durable, being very resistant to fungi, dry-wood borers and termites; it is also resistant to freshwater organisms. It seasons slowly but with very little risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is stable in service. The wood has a fairly high blunting effect and is rather difficult to saw and work, requiring considerable power; stellite-tipped sawteeth and tungsten carbide cutting tools are recommended; it finishes well, but picking up may occur in planing due to interlocked grain; it holds nails and screws well, but pre-boring is needed because it is brittle; gluing properties are often poor because of the presence of exudates in the wood, but the wood readily accepts stains and polishes well; it turns well, and the bending properties are moderate. The wood is highly valued for furniture and cabinet work, but is also used for heavy construction including waterworks, parquet flooring, stairs, implements, turning, sculpturing and sliced veneer. It is also suitable for joinery, interior trim, mortars, pestles, house posts, mine props, ship and boat building, vehicle bodies, sporting goods, toys, novelties, musical instruments (e.g. Balafons) and precision equipment[, ]. The roots are made into bows[].
The wood is suitable for fuel and is used to make a good quality charcoal[, ]. The charcoal is highly valued by local blacksmiths[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soaking in water for 12 - 24 hours, or treatment with sulphuric acid for 30 - 60 minutes improve germination rates from 50% to 70%[]. A germination rate of 100% was achieved using mechanical scarification, sowing in 1% agar, incubation at 21°c and a 12-hour photoperiod[]. Seeds can be sown in pots or in nursery beds at a spacing of about 20 cm × 30 cm. Germination is best at a temperature of 25 - 35°c, with the first seeds sprouting after 6 - 10 days[]. Seedlings develop a long taproot and grow away slowly[]. They can be planted out from pots or as bare-root plants, either as stumps or as entire seedlings. The survival rate is generally high when the seedlings are protected from livestock and wild herbivores[].
Suckers are developed regularly and can be used for vegetative propagation[].
Propagation by cuttings has been successful[].

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