Common Name:

General Information

Pterocarpus mildbraedii is an evergreen or semideciduous tree with a small, rounded crown; it can grow 15 - 25 metres tall, with reports of trees up to 36 metres in east Africa. The long, straight bole can be up to 60cm in diameter[, , ].
The edible leaves are often harvested from the wild for local use and are also often sold in local markets. Some attempts are underway to develop the tree as a cultivated food crop[]. The tree is also a local source of wood and is used to provide shade in cocoa plantations.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Gabon; also found in Tanzania.

Habitat

Lowland rainforest, dry evergreen forest and riverine forest, at elevations up to 1,250 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is tolerant of acid soils[].
The tree grows fast and coppices well[].
The root system is superficial: most roots are in the top 30cm of the soil[].
The plant has an intermittent pattern of leaf flushes; flushes often appear in the dry season when other leafy vegetables are scarce[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].
Hydrogen cyanide and oxalate levels in the leaves are high, but not such that they pose a health danger for consumers[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The trees have been either planted or retained in cocoa plantations in order to provide shade[].

Other Uses

There are two very conflicting reports for the wood of this species, as detailed below. It is possible that the reports are based on the two subspeciies and that the wood of trees from west Africa (subspecies mildbraedii) is soft and white, whilst that from east Africa (subspecies usambarensis) is red and heavy[].

The whitish wood is soft. It is of little commercial value[]. The tree is rarely exploited for its timber, although in Tanzania it is used to make mortars[].
The red wood of the subspecies usambarensis (Verdc.) Polhill (as found in east Africa) is hard and heavy. It is used for timber, building poles, pestles and carving[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.

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