The Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative : Parataxonomy of SE Tanzania

Pterocarpus

There are two locally important species in this genus: Pterocarpus angolensis and P. holtzii. These are grouped together for licensing purposes as their orange timber is similar. Pterocarpus is the preferred timber for furniture throughout Tanzania on account of its working quality, durability and appearance. Much is sawn into planks in small-scale pit-sawing operation at the felling site. Currently, by volume and licence fee paid, it is the most important timber sourced from Kilwa District. There are still sizable stocks of both species within Kilwa. This genus has characteristic pods that are spherical pods have coarse hairs and are surrounded by a single brown, circular wing approximately 12cm across. In English these trees are called bloodwood because of the red gum that drips like blood from damaged trees.

Pterocarpus angolensis

In Swahili this species is usually called mninga or mninga jangwa. Jangwa means desert and refers to its preference for drier habitats than other species in the genus. Locally in Kilwa District the tree is also known by the Mwera name mtumbati.

This tree is quite a common component of dry woodland such as miombo. It is one of the easiest species to identify, even when lacking leaves and flowers. It usually has a single, straight trunk, bark like crocodile skin (reticulate) and stark braches forming a flattened crown. For much of the year the branches are bare. The species can attain a height of nearly 30m although few tall specimens are seen nowadays. In the rainy season it produces thick glossy leaves usually made up of 13 little leaflets. The fragrant, open yellow flowers are followed by the genus's distinctive bristly pods. In the dry season the species can be identified by these pods, which often remain on the tree until the next year's pods are developing.

This species was formerly an important timber resource of southern and east Africa, but stocks have severely declined over recent decades. Its main use is furniture. It is also the preferred material for Swahili boat building, used to make the traditional dhows associated with the east Indian Ocean. In South Africa the timber is used for carving. Some tribes in southern Africa also use the gum as a body paint.

P. angolensis leaf

P. angolensis fruit

P. angolensis bark

Pterocarpus holtzii

The Swahili names for this tree are mninga maji and mninga bondi. Maji means water and bondi means stream; so both names refer to the species' preference for damper habitats than P. angolensis. The Mwera name mtumbati bondi is also frequently used.

Pterocarpus holtzii grows to a larger size then P. angolensis, retains its leaves in the dry season and has rough flaking bark, so its appearance is very different. P. holtzii is difficult to identify in the absence of visible pods, as it is extremely variable in form: many individuals branch low down, others are single-stemmed with an elongated trunk. The leaves are usually high up, making this a difficult species to spot.