421. Sterculia africana (Lour.) Fiori (Stercul.). 

 Mgoza (G), citondo (To), muyamba (Nk). 



A spreading much- branched tree up to 50 ft. tall, liver coloured, green or whitish 

 patchy bark, with cordate, roundish or 3-lobed, nearly glabrous leaves, lobes entire, 

 acuminate; flowers, small yellow, red striped inside, in axillary panicles, usually 

 produced when tree is leafless ; fruit of 3-5 follicles arranged in a star, splitting open 

 to expose numerous seeds with scarlet arils and stinging hairs. Common in rift 

 valleys below 2,000 ft., mainly in fertile soil which has often been opened up for 

 cultivation. 



A strong fibre is obtained from the bark which is used for making rope or tying 

 material for huts. 

 Ref. 14; 26. 



422. S. appendiculata K. Schum. (Stercul.). 



Njale (N, Y). 



A conspicuous tree up to 80 ft., with a pale, smooth, yellow- green bark and 

 round crown; leaves alternate, long-stalked, cordate with 3-5 long acuminate lobes; 

 flowers small, yellow-green in much-branched panicles; fruit star-shaped follicles 

 containing smooth black seeds. In rift valley below 2,000 ft. usually on ground 

 opened up for cultivation, riverain forests. 



The wood is soft and easy to work but is not durable. The leaves are eaten 

 as a side-dish (Port Herald). 



Ref. 14; 17; 23. 



423. S. quinqueloba (Garcke) K. Schum. 



Msetanyani (G), nemwajani (Y), mgoza (To, He), mpepe (Se). 



A small to large tree up to 70 ft., bark smooth yellow to white tending to flake 

 off, leaves large long stalked, 3-7 lobed, grey hairy beneath less so above, flowers 

 in many flowered large panicles. Common in hot dry rocky areas of the foothills 

 of the rift valley escarpment, and very conspicuous when leafless. 



The timber is hard of a reddish colour and reputed to be a fine furniture timber 

 but is very little known. 

 Ref. 14; 23; 27. 



424. Stereospermum kunthianum Cham. (Bignon.). 



Kafupa (C), kabvunguti (N), nkokonasimba (Y), nlakanjobvu (C), mwanambewe (N). 



The various names refer in some way to the long thin cylindrical fruit. 



A small tree up to 45 ft. growing in dry situations, bark scaly, dark grey or 

 whitish; leaves pinnate up to 1 ft. long, leaflets ovate up to 5 ins. long and 2^ ins. 

 wide; flowers, bell-shaped, 1 ins. long and fairly bright mauve; tree almost 

 leafless when in flower; fruit capsules, narrow, up to 2 ft. long giving the tree an 

 untidy appearance. Known to be in the foothills of Kota Kota and Karonga 

 Districts. 



The roots are used to cure a disease called ntikwitikwi, possibly asthma, the 

 bark as a medicine for ulcers. A good ornamental tree. 



Ref. 14; 23. 



425. Strophanthus kombe Oliv. (Apocyn.) Kombe arrow poison plant. 



Kombe (G), mbolo (N). 



A liane up to 10 or more feet long with grey or black rough stems, dotted with 

 large white lenticels, leaves opposite, elliptic or ovate elliptic, rough to the touch; 

 flowers in terminal cymes on short branches, petals yellowish- white with tails 3-5 

 ins. long ; fruits, paired woody follicles at right angles to each other and containing 

 numerous fawn coloured, silky seeds with long stalked tufts of hairs. 



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