''Dalbergia obovata'' (climbing flat bean) is a robust shrub or climber in the family Fabaceae, and is native to

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...

.Viljoen, C. (2006) Kirstenbosch ''Dalbergia obovata'' E.Mey. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dalbergobo.htm, retrieved 23 December 2010.

Distribution

This species favours

coastal The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

and riverine forestPooley, E. (1993). ''The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei''. . and forest margins as well as wooded slopes, and

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

woodland. It is found from the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu-Natal and

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

Description

''Dalbergia obovata'' is a canopy climber that grows up to 30 m tall in the wild or a small tree up to 6 m tall. It has modified, tendril-like branches that enable the plant to support itself on surrounding vegetation. The leaves are compound with alternate leaflets, and glossy green above and blue-grey beneath with a wavy margin. The flowers are produced in dense heads in the leaf axils and ends of the branchlets. The flowers are whitish and fragrant (sweetly scented). The fruits are flattened pods that are pale yellow to brown in colour, and form in clusters. Each pod contains 1-3 seeds.

Taxonomic notes

There is some variation between East African plants and the typical South African form: The leaflet-apices of East African specimens are less frequently pointed, there are few lateral nerves, and the fruits are generally relatively narrower and less hairy.Entry for DALBERGIA obovata E. Mey. amily LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE http://plants.jstor.org/flora/ftea002508, retrieved 29 December 2010. Some of the specimens from southern Mozambique show a cline towards the East African form, and so no formal taxonomic distinction seems necessary between Eastern and Southern African forms.

Uses

The stems are used for traditional woven hut walls and fishing baskets (in

Maputaland Maputaland is a natural region of Southern Africa. It is located in the northern part of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between Eswatini and the coast. In a wider sense it may also include the southernmost region of Mozambique. The bi ...

).Louppe, D., Oteng-Amoako, A.A. and Brink, M. (editors) (2008). ''Timbers 1''. . The heavy reddish wood is used for sticks and stools. A root infusion is used to treat stomach-ache and toothache, and the roots are used to make a Zulu love charm. The bark is used to treat sore mouths in babies and for making rope (twine), and ash from burnt bark is added to

snuff Snuff may refer to: Tobacco * Snuff (tobacco), fine-ground tobacco, sniffed into the nose ** Moist snuff or dipping tobacco ** Creamy snuff, an Indian tobacco paste Media and entertainment * Snuff film, a type of film that shows a murder Literat ...

. ''Dalbergia obovata'' is also used as a garden plant because of its showy flowers and can make an impenetrable hedge. The leaves can be used to feed livestock.

Ecological significance

As a legume these plants fix nitrogen in the soil for other plants to use. Beetles and a wide variety of other insects are attracted to the flowers. The leaves are heavily browsed by game animals. ''Dalbergia obovata'' is an important foodplant for Dassies ( hyrax). These plants also provide food for birds. The leaves of ''Dalbergia obovata'' were noted being used on a daily basis to line the nest of a pair of green malkohas (''

Ceuthmochares aereus The blue malkoha or chattering yellowbill (''Ceuthmochares aereus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly conspecific with the green malkoha until split in 2016. It is widely distributed across the African tropical rai ...

'') while the eggs were being incubated, but this ceased once the eggs hatched.Chittenden, H and Upfold, G. (2009). ''Green Malkoha – breeding strategy''. http://www.birdinfo.co.za/landbirds/50_green_malkoha.htm, retrieved 29 December 2010. There were no ''Dalbergia obovata'' in the immediate vicinity of the nest, and the birds had to fly some distance to find the leaf species of their choice for nest lining. ''Dalbergia obovata'' is also one of the larval foodplants of the common sailer ('' Neptis laeta'').Williams, M. (1994). ''Butterflies of Southern Africa; A Field Guide''. .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5210250 Flora of Africa Creepers of South Africa obovata