''Pericopsis laxiflora'' is a woody deciduous shrub or tree within the Fabaceae family. Sold commercially as satin wood, it is known in some regions as Kulu Kulu, among the

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

speaking people, it is called Makarfo, the Yorubas call it Ayan and the Igbos call it Abua-Ocha. It is one of three species in the genus

Pericopsis ''Pericopsis'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Species ''Pericopsis'' comprises the following species: * ''Pericopsis angolensis'' (Baker) Meeuwen * ''Pericopsis elata'' (Harms) Meeuwen—African teak * ''Pericopsis laxiflora'' (Bak ...

genus that occurs in Africa. The species contains the

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Th ...

s: N-methylcytisine, ammodendrine, and choline.

Description

A tree or shrub, common growth reaches between 9 and 12 meters tall but occasionally grows up to 2 meters tall as a shrub. Trunk usually twisted, rarely straight and with twisted branches, bark is smooth, grey to beige in color while stem is pubescent. Leaves, alternate arrangement, 4 - 6 pairs, upper surface imparipinate, shiny and lower surface glabrous. Leaf-blade, lanceolate to ovate in outline, 3 – 7 cm long and 2.5 – 5 cm wide, acuminate apex with cuneate base. Petiole, 15 – 20 cm long.

Distribution

Occurs widely in the Savannah and dry forest regions of West Africa.

Uses

Root, bark, leaf decoctions are used to treat stomach ailments 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 ...

, while in Guinea, plant extracts are used to treat

shigellosis Shigellosis is an infection of the intestines caused by '' Shigella'' bacteria. Symptoms generally start one to two days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and feeling the need to pass stools even when the bowels are ...

. In Ghana it is used as a topical treatment for body pain and among some locals in Cameroon, the plant extracts are used by diabetes patients.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6072455 Flora of West Tropical Africa Faboideae