64. Bombax stolzii Ulbr. (Bombac). 

 Mtonjemanga (N), ntumbati (Nk). 



A large tree 35-100 ft. high with loose rounded crown; fruits about 3 ins. long 

 splitting on the tree to expose a reddish-brown floss; commonly planted in Karonga 

 District for the floss which is used for stuffing cushions, etc. 



Ref. 14; 26. 



65. Borassus aethiopum Mart. (Palm.) Deleb palm, Palmyra palm. 

 Mvumo (G), makoma (To, He), mkamu (Tu). 



A palm with a solitary slightly bottle-shaped stem up to 60 ft. tall, crowned 

 with a head of large fan-shaped leaves, fruits large brown globular about 8 ins. 

 diam. Said to fruit only after the bulge is reached and dropping only at night. 

 Common in the Mzimba District and Fort Hill and in certain areas of the Luangwa 

 Valley, few on the Lake-shore except at Monkey Bay and Salima. 



Fruit much liked by elephants who prefer the hot fermented fruits that have 

 laid on the ground for some days, they are said to chew the fruit spitting out the 

 seeds. The fruits ripen in October-November, their seeds being surrounded by a 

 bright orange fibrous juicy pulp which is also much liked by Africans who will go a 

 long way to collect them. 



The fruits are sprouted by covering a number of them in a pit, they sprout 

 quickly and are ready to eat in about two weeks. The sprouted seeds are called 

 mselema (Salima), See also Hyphaene spp. The leaves are sometimes used to 

 make mats, but these are not so strong as those made from Hyphaene spp. The 

 trunks and leaf stalks make good poles for roofs, etc. 



Ref. 17; 22; 26; 27. 



66. Boscia sp. (Capparid.). 



Musaza {cimwembe), mpetu (C), mudhlakono (Ng). 



A tree often found on stream banks. 



The leaves are cooked as a side-dish (Misuku Hills, Karonga District). The 

 roots are very popular to wear as love amulets and hence many trees die because 

 their roots have been cut. 



67. Brachystegia (Caesalp.). 



This genus is represented by quite a number of species in Nyasaland and the 

 identification of some of them is not easy, while their native names are many and 

 very confused. 



The genus consists of evergreen shrubs to deciduous trees up to 60 ft. tall, some 

 with flat crowns ; their leaves are pinnate the leaflets varying from very small to 1-2 

 ins. in size and arranged in 2-3 to many pairs, some when young are a beautiful 

 red colour in September and October. The flowers are greenish, small, inconspicuous, 

 arranged in racemes, spikes or even small panicles to be followed by hard flat woody 

 pods that frequently dehisce with an explosive sound when the hard, flat, roundish- 

 in-outline, brown, seeds are ripe. 



The following are some of the more common species met with : — ■ 



68. Brachystegia bussei Harms (Caesalp.). 

 Mtwana (Y), mseza (C), musumbu (He), ntudzu (To). 



Tree up to 50 ft. with rounded crown, young leaves bright red, turning bright 

 or dark green. 



Characteristic of low lying slopes with stony eroded soil but is found as high 

 as 6,000 ft. 



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