Afzelia quanzensis
Species of legume
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Afzelia quanzensis (pod mahogany, Afrikaans: peulmahonie, Venda: mutokota, Zulu: inkehli) is a species of tree native to sub-Saharan Africa.[3] It ranges from Somalia and Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa.[2] It is a protected tree in South Africa.[3] It belongs to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the bean family Fabaceae.
| Pod mahogany | |
|---|---|
| |
| A. quanzensis in Ha-Tshikonelo, Venda, Limpopo, South Africa | |
 | |
| Flower | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Afzelia |
| Species: | A. quanzensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Afzelia quanzensis Welw. (1859) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Description
This deciduous tree can grow up to 20 metres (66 ft) height (occasionally to 35 metres),[4] and has smooth, grey bark, which can flake in irregular patches. It has glossy dark green leaves and flowers between October and November. The flowers have a solitary large red petal. After flowering, it produces a seed capsule, a thick woody pod, up to 23 cm (9.1 in) long, which contains 6 or 7 black seeds with a hard, bright red aril covering one end.[5]
Uses
The seeds are sometimes made into native necklaces and the timber is an ornamental hardwood, used in furniture, parquet flooring and railway sleepers.[5]
This plant may be used in traditional medicine.[6]
