14. Afzelia quanzensis Welw. (Caesalp.) Lucky Bean. 



Mpapadende (Tu) {dende = cooked dish), msambamfumu (C), mkongomwa (Y). 

 mpapa (Nk). 



A fine tree up to 50 ft. often flat-crowned, white flowers and large woody pods 

 containing black seeds with a red or yellow aril. Commonest in woodland on reddish 

 well -drained soils. 



The wood is hard and ornamental, has a good figure, works very well and takes 

 a fine polish. Used for furniture and building (Tt.). It also bends well and Africans 

 in S.R. use it for large ornamental drums. Leaves are commonly eaten in the 

 Kasungu, Mzimba and Fort Johnston Districts and possibly elsewhere. They 

 are used in September to December when young and are pounded and cooked with 

 native potashes. They form a mucilaginous product, thelele, which is well liked. 

 Chiefs are said to use an infusion of the bark to wash their bodies, hence the Cewa 

 name, msambamfumu. 



Ref. 17; 22; 26. 



*15. Agave sisalana Perrine (Agavac.) Sisal. 



Khonje (N) a name in general use for any string or fibre. 



An exotic succulent plant, native of Mexico, with more or less very large, spiny 

 leaves, 5-6 ft. in length. Flowers are produced at about the seventh or eighth year after 

 which the plant dies. Propagation is by bulbils or suckers ; the plants reach maturity 

 in three to five j^ears after planting from suckers. At one time gro\\ii on a commercial 

 scale in the Southern Province and now elsewhere in the country on a small scale. 



An important fibre for ropes, mats, sandals, etc. A smaller leafed species, 

 probably A. angustifolia, makes an almost impenetrable hedge even against big 

 game. 

 Ref. 4; 26. 



16. Albizzia adianthifolia (Schumach.) W. F. Wight (Mimos.). 



This species has been much confused with A. gummifera q.v. and has been 

 collected at Dowa by Greenway, 6369, who records it as a much-branched flat-crowned 

 tree up to 40 ft. tall with very spreading branches, very rough finely reticulate bark, 

 flowers in globular heads Avith greenish -white petals and crimson stamens. At 

 Dowa it is locally common but scattered in secondary woodland broken by native 

 cultivations on a dark reddish -brown loam. 



Exudes a soft dark reddish -brown gum which becomes hard, very dark brown, 

 almost black, on keeping. 



17. A. anthelmintica (A. Rich.) A. Brongn. (Mimos.). 



Cikololo (Y), citale (N). 



Small much-branched deciduous tree up to 30 ft. with a rounded open crown 

 and dark grey almost black bark, flowers in dense globular heads, greenish -white 

 often produced when the tree is leafless. Pods narrow oblong, leathery, broAvn with 

 thickened margins. Found in thornbush country, especially along seasonal rivers 

 and in termite mound clump thickets. 



Leaves eaten by stock. The bark is an important anthelminthic and purgative 

 to Africans in Tt. 



Ref. 17; 26. 



18. A. glabrescens Oliv. 



Nsenjere (N, C), ntangatanga (G), cihwani, njoka, (Y). 



A much-branched, flat-crowned evergreen tree up to 80 ft. flowers greenish - 

 yellow in dense globular heads, pods flat, oblong, glabrous. 



14 



