453. T. rhomboidea Jacq. 



(Not the edible khatambuzi but possibly also known by this name.) 

 Herbaceous or shrubby, up to 4 ft., varying much in habit and leaves, stalk of 

 lower leaves nearly as long as blade ; leaves polymorphous ; flowers, yellow, numerous 

 in cymose clusters, fruits rounded, the size of a small pea, 3-5 valved, covered with 

 smooth hooked conical prickles so that the fruit easily adheres to clothing. Open 

 ground especially edges of woodland, common in the Kota Kota Hills. 



It is used occasionally for string. " Yields a strong bast fibre which if carefully 

 prepared from well-grown plants would fijid a market as a substitute for jute " 

 Imperial Institute Report, September, 1909. 



454. Tulbaghia cameroni Bak. (Amaryllid.). 



Katsopi (N). 



A tuberous-rooted herb growing to about 1 ft. with an umbel of 3-4 small white 

 flowers, sweet -smelling ; leaver strap-shaped, flowering in November. 



The floweis are cooked mixed with mlozi, {Adenia cissampeloides), and fimfwi 

 {Coccinia quinqueloba), as side-dish. The product is slimy, thelele. (Dzenza and 

 Mkhoma, Lilongwe District.) The leaves are also cooked as a side-dish (Dowa 

 foothills). 



455. Turraea nilotica Kotschy & Peyr. (Meliac). 

 Msindila (C), mhulahala (N, Y). 



A branched deciduous shrub up to 8 ft. tall, leaves obovate to obovate-lanceolate 

 up to 7 ins. long by 3J ins. wide, more or less hairy, flowers yellow in sessile to 

 subsessile, several to many flowered, umbelliform racemes which are produced when 

 the tree is leafless. Known to occur in the Kasungu District. 



The fruits are said to be eaten by children (Kasungu). The leaves when fresh 

 can be eaten by cattle without dire results, when dried are said to be extremely 

 poisonous to man and cattle, in the latter the symptoms very much resemble those 

 of Rinderpest (Tt). 



Ref.: 14; 26. 



456. Uapaca kirkiana Muell. Arg. (Euphorb.). 

 Msuku (G), mompangwe {cilambia). 



A much-branched evergreen tree up to 40 ft. tall with large, leathery, strongly 

 ribbed; obovate or obovate- elliptic alternate leaves, glossy above, woolly pubescent 

 beneath at length glabrous ; flowers of separate sexes the males yellow, flowering in 

 March; fruits yellow, subglobose about 1 ins. in diameter with several seeds, 

 ripening in October to December. Very common all over the country on drier 

 poor soils, particularly on leached quartz sand or shallow immature soils. 



The fruits are edible; they have a pleasant sweet taste and are collected in 

 basketfuls and taken to the villages for all to eat. The fruits are sometimes pounded 

 with water and the extract used to make gruel, which serves as refreshing drink, 

 phala la masuku. The fruits have sufficient value to be sold or bartered. Cakes 

 are made in the Dedza District as follows: — the ripe fruits are squeezed and water 

 is added to the pulp, then flour and sometimes egg are added and the mixture made 

 into flat cakes and fried. A similar kind of cake is made using the fruits of 

 Strychnos spinosa {mateme), instead. The timber is of a pleasing appearance 

 resembling American birch but of a deeper reddish colour and with more figure. It 

 is of medium weight, fine in the grain and compact. It works easily and polishes 

 well. It is fairly resistant to termites and boring insects. The timber is useful for 

 general building purposes. Weight about 40 lb. per cu. ft. 



Ref. 9; 14; 22; 26. 



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