Common Name:

General Information

Pterolobium stellatum is a scrambling or climbing, rarely semi-erect, multi-stemmed shrub with recurved prickles, growing from 2 - 15 metres tall[].
The plant is used to make a black or red dye and a waterproof black ink. It has a number of traditional medicinal uses and is often grown as an impenetrable hedge. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Africa - Eritrea, south to S. Africa. Also found in Peninsular Arabia.

Habitat

Dry evergreen forest; evergreen bushland; riverine forest; deciduous woodland; sometimes on termite-mounds in grassland; forest regrowth with Syzygium; rain-forest with Albizia, Macaranga, Croton, Ocotea, climber at forest edge[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, 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

The plant is sometimes used in traditional medicine[].

The fresh leaves are chewed or taken as a decoction to treat tuberculosis and related respiratory diseases[].

A root decoction is used against stomach-ache[]. The juice of the roots is swallowed to treat snakebites[]. A root infusion is drunk by women as a treatment against infertility[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used as a live fence[]. Hedges made of this plant are impenetrable because of the sharp prickles, and they can be pruned to a desired height and width[].
The plant competes strongly with Opuntia cactii and therefore can be useful for controlling Opuntia in areas where
the latter has become a weed[].

Other Uses

The leaves contain about 20%f tannins and have been used since historical times as a source of dyes[]. The leaves, ground and boiled in water to which a little oil or butter has been added to help fix the colour, are used to dye clothes for mourning, for dark colours in basketry and to colour mats made from doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica)[].
Formerly the leaves were one of the main ingredients for making black ink, based on the chemical reaction of the tannins of the plant with iron slag or iron filings from the blacksmith[]. This ink is water resistant[].

Because of the sharp, recurved prickles, branches are used to make rat traps[].

The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - germinates better when scarified mechanically or chemically[]. It is sensitive to high temperatures, so hot water treatment before germination is not recommended[].
The seeds can be easily stored in airtight containers for more than a year without loss of viability[, ].

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