Synoptical and Specific Descriptions. 
49 
1 13. BRACHYSTEGIA. Unarmed trees with abruptly pinnate leaves, flowers rather small in terminal simple spicate dense racemes or axillary paniculate confluent 
glomerules. Flowers in bud enclosed by 2 bracteoles. Calyx reduced to several minute scales ; petals absent ; stamens 10-13 ; filaments somewhat connate at the 
base ; ovary 5-8 ovulate ; pod oblong, compressed, dehiscent, woody, with a wide ventral suture. Seeds several, compressed, exalbuminous. A Tropical African 
genus, having fibrous bark largely used by the natives for water-boxes, drums, &c., and when beaten out and chewed it is the only cloth available in many places ; 
it also contains tannin worth commercial attention. By the descriptions I cannot separate B. appendiculata, Benth., which is recorded from the Northern districts 
by Drs. Miller and Kirk from B. spicseformis. 
B. spicaeformis, Benth. Vern. names — 5, 6, Tzontzo, Tondo ; 7, 8, M-tamba ; 10, Marotta, 11, Macarara. The timber is known with several other timbers as, 
2, Pau-ferro (= ironwood), and the fibre as (2) Casca-pano. A tree 10-15 metres high, 20-40 c.m. stem diameter, with a rounded spreading crown where space 
allows. Young growth minutely pubescent, soon glabrous. Rachis 10 c.m. long; leaflets usually 4 pairs, 4-5 c.m. long, shortly petiolatc or almost sessile, 
obliquely ovate, rounded at the point and often with about 3 veins from the base. Stipules linear, caducous. Leaves on coppice shoots twice as large, sometimes 
acute, and with falcate stipules 15 m.m. long, sometimes with a transverse reniform leafy appendage or auricle at the base of each. “Flowers subscssile in terminal, 
simple, very dense, feruginous, spiciform, ovoid or oblong ovoid racemes 1 or 2 inches long, much exceeded by the leaves. Involucral bracteoles obovate or 
elliptical * nc ^ l° n g- Perianth usually reduced to 2 linear or lanceolate ciliate scales about one line in length, alternating with the bracteoles ; occasionally a few 
additional minute scales are present. Stamens 10-13, unequally and distinctly monadelphous, glabrous. Ovary laxly or substrigose-pilose on a stipes of its own 
length ; ovules 7-8.” Pod 15 c.m. long, firmly woody, dehiscent, at first densely velvety, sharply and obliquely pointed, compressed, sharp one side, but 7-10 m.m. 
wide, with a more hardened and furrowed edge on the other. Seed flat, 2 c.m. long, oblong, exalbuminous. Though not a large tree this is perhaps the most 
important tree in the Province under its present circumstances ; the natives in the northern districts make all their cloth from the bark of this and other species of 
this genus ; the natives of M’Chopes make all their water-baskets, beer vessels, grain drums and cordage from its bark, and only use another tree for cloth because 
that is more easily prepared ; throughout the Province, north of the Limpopo, they use the bark of this only for making cradles, coffins and beehives, and the 
timber is hard and durable and takes a part in all domestic woodwork construction. The water-basket, an implement of immense utility in the sandy districts 
where water is only obtainable at distances of several miles, is made by ringing the tree at two places, 4-5 feet apart, cutting down one side and removing the 
piece of bark intact, the two incurved sides are kept apart and in place by skewers, the ends are doubled up and the met edges sewn together at the corners, and the 
cross ends sewn to the skewer nearest to each, the sewing being done with fibre made of itself. These baskets last well and do not leak, and though the removal of 
the bark kills the tree, that is of little consequence where trees are abundant. I saw water brought up out of a well 20 metres deep by a half-inch rope of 
the twisted bark of the branches, which is also used for hinges and wherever fibre can be used, and a piece subjected to a strain of 400 lbs. did not break, but, 
of course, stretched out considerably. The bark also contains about 18 % of tannin, and as there is a vast quantity of it available, I consider that an extract might 
be made on the spot and shipped out with considerable profit, though I fear the shipment of the bark itself cannot be done profitably. The seed is also said to be 
edible. The M’Chopes country is in many places almost a pure forest of this, especially where extensive cultivation was abandoned after Gungunhamas raid, 
12 years ago, and where now a dense forest of seedling trees of this species, 6-8 metres high and 15 c.m. diameter, is already in possession and ready for first 
thinning. The utilization of this bark is a forest problem of equal importance with the utilization of all the timber in the Province, and well deserves skilled 
management, and may some day bring a large revenue. The tree is abundant from the Limpopo to Inhambane, and frequent in the forests further north. It was 
not noticed in Lourenzo Marques district, and if present at all is scarce there. The large beans have not so far been experimented on, but will, I think, be found 
to contain a lot of tannin, and are produced in enormous quantities and weigh well. The regrowth is excellent everywhere, and the tree is inclined to monopolise 
suitable districts. Found also in Zanzibar and Angola. 
Plate XLII. i, Branch with pod ; 2, Section of pod ; 3, Seed ; 4, Section of same ; 5, Water-basket, made of bark (reduced) ; 7, Ring of bark, as used (reduced) ; 8, Half of pod, with seeds. 
B. oblonga. (New species) 1 Vern. name — 10, Mondi (not Moondi). A medium-sized tree common around Arenga and elsewhere in Magcnja da Costa, 15-20 metres 
high and with stem diameter of 30-50 c.m. Rachis 15 c.m. long, slender, furrowed, somewhat pubescent, with about 8 pairs of sessile oblong glabrous leaflets 4 
* Brachystegia oblonga. (Sp. nov.) Arbor 15-20 m. alta ; caule 30-50 c.m. diam. ; rachi 15 c.m. longa gracili sulcata subpubcsccntc ; foliolis circa 8-jugis, scssilibus supra atro-viridibus nitidis 
infra pallidis glabris oblongis 4 c.m. longis 15 m.m. latis, basi oblique rotundatis, apice rotundatis vel subquad ratis, lateribus cx :cquo dislunlibus; venis pinnatis, vena inferiore in facie inferiorc aliis majore ; 
stipulis falcatis auriculatis. Inflorescentia haud visa. Fructu cuneato, basi I 'J c.m. lata, apice 4 c.m, lato, oblique rostrato, altero margine tenui altcro 1 c.m. lato acute bicarinato. Species cognosccnda foliorum 
forma. Magenja da Costa. Sim 5574. 
G 
