NAME: Dalbergiella welwitschii
FAMILY NAME: fabaceae
COMMON NAMES: West African black wood
LOCAL NAMES: Emosho-elemosoo, emeso-igangan, afoso,
MORPHOLOGY: Dalbergiella welwitschii is a deciduous, straggling shrub or climbing plant that usually grows 5 - 8 metres tall, but can reach up to 17 metres if it has support. The slender stem is generally around 2cm in diameter, becoming rather flattened with age, with stellately arranged spines in the middle. Often in riverain forest. Flowers pinkish-white or yellow with a large red streak on the standard, fragrant.
USEFUL PART(S): Stem, twigs, roots, leaves
GENERAL USES: Medicine, Wood
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zaïre
WHY IS IT GREEN: Bronchial ailments, purgative, anthelmintic, menstrual disorder.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: None known
FUN FACT: The wood is tough and flexible. It is used traditionally for carving and making drum hoops, toys, household items
FURTHER READING:
Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Govaerts, R. (2000). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS D: 1-30141