''Pterocarpus erinaceus'' is an endangered
species of tree that is native to the
Sahel
The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
ian region of
West Africa. It is listed in Appendix II of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It is used for fuel wood, for medicinal purposes, as a
woodworking material, and is useful as a
nitrogen-fixing plant to improve nutrient-depleted farming land. It has several common names, including kosso,
[ barwood, African kino tree, muninga, and ''vène''; ''mukwa'' is used for this species as well as other '' Pterocarpus''. Groves of the tree can be found on the savannahs of West Africa, but it is becoming increasingly rare and is sometimes cultivated. The tree also grows in forests of Comoé National Park in ]Côte d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
, a region geographically close to the Sahel but with a higher moisture regime due to its location between two large rivers. Also, the tree grows in abundance in Kurmi Local Govt. of Taraba State in Nigeria. The tree grows to about 11 meters in height on average, and bears dark, scaly bark and yellow flowers. The fruits are winged pods. ''P. erinaceus'' grows well on sunny, hot African plains with long dry seasons and frequent fires.
The wood, which varies from yellowish to rosy reds and rich browns, is valued for woodworking, and makes good charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
and fuel wood. The tree exudes a red sap called '' kino'', which is used as a dye in tanning
Tanning may refer to:
* Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
* Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
** Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
** Sunless tanning, application of a stain or d ...
and cloth-making. As a legume, the tree harbors rhizobia
Rhizobia are diazotrophic bacteria that fix nitrogen after becoming established inside the root nodules of legumes (Fabaceae). To express genes for nitrogen fixation, rhizobia require a plant host; they cannot independently fix nitrogen. In gene ...
that return nitrogen to the soil, making it more fertile. Such plants are desirable on farmland. In addition, the foliage is a nutritious fodder
Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...
for farm animals. Mali has an active market for ''P. erinaceus'' foliage, which is in high demand by sheep farmers for fodder. The tree has several medicinal uses, including reduction of fever and cough suppression.
''Pterocarpus erinaceus'' is one of the traditional djembe
A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa.
According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...
woods. It is also the only wood used to make the keys and part of the frame of the balafon and is the most common wood used to make the neck of the kora
Kora may refer to:
Places India
* Kora, Bardhaman, West Bengal
* Kora, Bharuch, Gujarat
* Korha, Katihar, also known as Kora, in Bihar
* Kora, Kendrapara, Odisha
* Kora, Wardha, Maharastra
* Kora, Tumakuru, Karnataka
* Toyaguda, Adilabad, Telan ...
.
''Pterocarpus erinaceus'' was brought to Europe in the 19th century by the Scottish explorer Mungo Park. Currently, it is a threatened due to overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term app ...
, environmental degradation, and Global warming, climatic changes. However, the tree is somewhat prolific and easy to cultivate, so reforestation efforts have shown some success.
Other names for the tree include ''bani'' in Fula language, Fulfulde, ''tolo'' in Zarma language, Djerma, ''wén'' in Wolof language, Wolof and ''ban'' in Serer language, Serer.FAO Species Profile
/ref>
References
External links
Pterocarpus, erinaceus
Flora of South Africa
Trees of Africa
Flora of Ivory Coast
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