Is native to; Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Republic of, Zambia and Zimbabwe and has spread to other parts of the continent.
Distribution of Salvadora persica in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
General Information about the Tree:
Its fruits are eaten whole and have a slightly hot taste. Leaves and fruit are important fodder for camels and goats in dry areas when nothing else is available. The bark contains an antibiotic that keeps the mouth clean and prevents tooth decay.
Biophysical Limits:
Grows in most low latitude areas of Kenya, especially ASALS and coastal regions in riverine vegetation on sandy, sandy-loam and alluvial soils or on rocky ground. Altitude ranges between 0 and 1,800 m above sea level. It is very drought resistant; tolerates areas with less than 200 mm annual rainfall. It is an indicator plant for saline soils though it prefers sandy-clay soils of watercourses and occasionally found in red soils in bush land. Spread in agro-ecological zones V-VI.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
Seeds dispersed by animals and man after they eat the fruit. Propagation is by using seedlings but it produces root suckers which can also be used. It is slow growing. Shade trees should be planted near other trees such a A. tortilis for support. Pollarding is done for fodder and production of short stems to be harvested for toothbrushes.It occurs in Woodlot, hedges and enrichment systems. To get high seed settings and seed oil content, harvesting is recommended 3 months after seed setting. This may be due to the utilization of food reserve in the cotyledons for the development of fruit pulp, and can be seen as the pulp content of fruit increases. Coppicing is advantageous for the trees’ use as a fuel, and the branches are repeatedly cut to produce short stems that are harvested for toothbrushes. It is generally a slow-growing tree.
Products:
Food: its fruits have a sweet, agreeable, aromatic, slightly pungent and peppery taste and they can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and stored.
Toothbrush; as the name suggests, it is a good source of tooth brush.
Fodder: Leaves and young shoots are browsed by all stock, but normally cattle do not occur in the driest parts where its found and hence it tends to be valued more as a camel, sheep and goat forage.
Apiculture:S. persica is a good source of nectar.
Fuel: The wood is sometimes used for firewood and charcoal but it should not be used for cooking meat, as it leaves a foul taste.
Timber: The wood is soft, white, easy to work and is not liable to termite attack. Used for coffins and clubs.
Gum or resin: Resin that drips from the tree is supposedly useful for making varnish
A toothbrush from Salvadora persica (c) Bo Tengnas
Services:
Shade or shelter: it is planted as shelter belts and windbreaks to protect farm habitation, gardens and orchards.
Reclamation: used in sand dune reclamation and also useful for reclaiming saline soils.
3. Pests and Diseases
When it occurs on river terraces, it is a preferred host of Cistanche tubulosa, an obligate phanerogamic root parasite. Defoliating larvae of several beetles can attack the tree too, and leaves are often susceptible to attacks by the lepidopteran Colotis ephiae. The mite Eriophyes causes leaf gall and a number of fungi such as Cercospora udaipurensis, Placosoma salvadorae and Sephogloeum salvadorae damage the leaves.
4. Information Source Links
ICRAF. 1992. A selection of useful trees and shrubs for Kenya: Notes on their identification, propagation and management for use by farming and pastoral communities. ICRAF.
Albrecht J. ed. 1993. Tree seed hand book of Kenya. GTZ Forestry Seed Center Muguga, Nairobi, Kenya.
It is native to Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Yemen and Republic of Zimbabwe. In Kenya, it is widespread in the drier parts of the country but absent in Western and Nyanza provinces.
Distribution of Cordia sinensis in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
General Information about the Tree:
Flowering occurs in December to February and August while fruiting happens from April to June, and in December, fruits are eaten by monkeys, baboons and birds which are the main dispersal agents. It is a very important tree in dry areas. Its branches are flexible, light and they do not snap; are used for supports of camel pack-saddles. Ripe fruits are eaten raw; the sweet mucilaginous pulp may be eaten, while the fruit cover and seeds are discarded.
Biophysical Limits:
This species is common in dry riverine vegetation, usually with Salvadora persica, or in open bushland in low altitude arid and semi-arid areas on termite mounds and in littoral scrub. Altitude ranges between 0 and 1500 m. Mean Annual Rainfall is between 600 – 1000 mm annually and it prefers alluvial, sandy, red loam and rocky soils in moist river beds.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
Cordia sinensis is fairly fast growing and tolerates lopping, pollarding, and coppicing. It can be propagated by seedlings and wildings. Several seedlings may germinate from each stone. Can be pricked out
Products:
Medicine: The roots and bark are used for stomach disorders in both children and adults. A decoction of boiled roots is used to treat malaria but can cause an abortion. Bark and roots are mixed to treat conjunctivitis in cattle.
Fodder: A very important source of fodder for goats, sheep, cattle and camels in dry areas.
Food: The sweet and sticky tasty pulp of the fruit is eaten fresh and often put in porridge as a sugar substitute. The fruit pulp is sometimes used to make juice or brew local beer and sometimes mixed with tamarind (Tamarindus indica) juice and fermented.
Gum: The clear gum from the tree is edible.
Timber: The wood is used in the construction, furniture and for agricultural implements (such as tool handles, walking sticks, clubs, wooden spoons, stirrers and stools).
Services:
Shade in the hot sun.
Soil protection from erosion.
3. Pests and Diseases
There is no information about the diseases and pests that affect Cordia sinensis.
4. Information Source Links
Beentje HJ. (1994). Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya.
Maundu PM et al. (1999). Traditional food plants of Kenya. National Museums of Kenya.
Widespread in lowland arid Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian peninsula to India. In Kenya is widely distributed in hot areas. Common in dry northern areas along river courses and lakes (Turkana) also very common at the coast.
istribution of Hyphaene compressa in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
General Information about the Tree:
The fruit is a heavily depended on commodity as a source of food by the Turkana in times of food shortage. It is an important source of thatch and handicraft material for the Pokomo and Turkana people. Fruits are eaten by elephants, baboons and the endangered monkey – Tane River Crested Mangbey.
Biophysical Limits:
It requires a high water table and a hot dry climate for good growth. Altitude is between 0 and 1000 m. Agro-ecological zones II – VII (riverine) and fruit available most of the year.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
Direct sowing at site, either into carefully prepared pits or any other places where water collects naturally. Not suitable for nurseries since a long “taproot” grows down to 50 – 100 cm before leaves appear. The “root” will carry the embryo down into the ground. Suckers can also be used. Slow growing. Thinning to reduce density; prune long spiny leaves for use as weaving material.
Products:
Fuel: is a source of firewood.
Timber: it can be used in making cabinets bee hives and a good source of poles and posts.
Food: it produces edible fruit (pulp, kernel), palm wine from the stem, and juice from young fruit.
Handicrafts: used in making baskets, mats and roofing (leaves)
An important tree found in Asia and all over Africa from arid and semi-arid regions to subhumid savanna. It is native to; Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Israel, Kenya, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Republic of, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is found in many parts of Kenya but rare at the coastal zone.
Distribution of Balanites aegyptiaca in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre
General Information about the Tree:
This is a very important species for dry areas as it produces fruit even in very dry years. Young leaves and tender shoots are used as a vegetable (Turkana, Pokot, Tugen, Marakwet, Keiyo, Ilchamus). Wood used for making boards for teaching the Koran.
Biophysical Limits:
Altitude: it’s found at 0 – 2,000 m in bushland and wooded grassland, Mean annual temperature: 20 – 30 deg. C, Mean annual rainfall: 250 – 1200 mm, Soil type: Common in open grassland with black-cotton soil. Prefers valley soil but will grow in sandy, clay, black-cotton, alluvial and stony soils and is found in agro-ecological zones IV – VI.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
Seedlings and direct sowing at site may be used to propagate it. It also produces suckers if roots are exposed which can also be used for propagation. Coppices and pollards well and can regenerate after lopping and heavy browsing. Where fruit is the principal interest, pollarding and coppicing for obtaining fodder are seldom employed.
Products
Food: The fleshy pulp of both unripe and ripe fruit is edible and eaten dried or fresh. The fruit is processed into a drink and sweetmeats in Ghana, alcoholic liquor in Nigeria, a soup ingredient in Sudan. Young leaves and tender shoots are used as a vegetable, which is boiled, pounded, then fried or fat added to prepare it.
Fodder: The fresh and dried leaves, fruit and sprouts are all fed to livestock.
Fuel: its wood is good firewood; it produces considerable heat and very little smoke, making it good for indoor use. It produces high-quality charcoal too.
Fibre: A strong fibre is obtained from the bark.
Timber: It has hard wood, durable, worked easily and made into yokes, wooden spoons, pestles, mortars, handles, stools and combs. It shows no serious seasoning defects and no tendency towards surface checking or splitting.
Lipids: The kernels produce edible oil used for cooking, the oil remains stable when heated and has a high smoking point, and therefore its free fatty acid content is low.
Alcohol: Its fruits may be used to brew an alcoholic drink.
Poison: An emulsion made from the fruit or bark is lethal to the freshwater snails that are the host of miracidia and cercaria stages of bilharzia and to a water flea that acts as a host to the guinea worm. A fish poison can also be obtained from the fruit, root and the bark.
Medicine: Decoction of root is used to treat malaria, roots boiled in soup are used against oedema and stomach pains. Roots are used as an emetic; bark infusion is used to treat heartburn. Wood gum mixed with maize meal porridge is used to treat chest pains. The bark is used to deworm cattle in Rajasthan.
Other products: Seeds can be used for rosary beads, necklaces and in the game of warri played in Sudan.
Services:
Shade or shelter: The usually evergreen behaviour potentially makes B. aegyptiaca an attractive element to introduce into shelterbelts, although it grows and hence not suitable as a principal species.
Boundary or barrier or support: As a thorny tree, B. aegyptiaca is useful for fencing.
Boundary and amenity plantings are widespread in Africa. Cut branches are used to make livestock enclosures.
3. Pests and Diseases
B. aegyptiaca is often attacked by locust and beetle and suffers a high degree of parasitic infestation. Two micr0-fungi Phorma balanitis and Septoria balanitis, are the only reported dependent fungi.
4. Information Source Links
Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005)Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
Albrecht J. ed. 1993. Tree seed hand book of Kenya. GTZ Forestry Seed Center Muguga, Nairobi, Kenya.
Beentje HJ. 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya.
Bein E. 1996. Useful trees and shrubs in Eritrea; Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), Nairobi, Kenya.
Local Names: English (White thorn); Gabra (Iddado); Kamba (Mweya, Kisewa); Kikuyu (Mugaa); Luhya: Okulum); Bukusu (Kumunyenya); Luo (Lii); Maasai (Olerai); Swahili (Mgunga)Test
1. Introduction
General Distribution:
A typical savanna acacia, it is native to Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Republic of, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is widespread in semi-arid areas of Africa from Senegal to Egypt south to Malawi and Zimbabwe. In Kenya, it is found in the open or bushed grasslands and woodlands, especially at the foot of hills and on plains, often as the dominant tree.
Distribution of Acacia seyal in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
General Information about the Tree:
The tree produces a clear edible gum sold to generate income, although of less value than that of A. Senegal. A local wood preservative (asal) is derived by boiling the bark in wate. Among the Luos, it is believed that planting it in homesteads causes the elder wife either to die or remain childless.
Biophysical Limits:
It flourishes in the altitude ranges of 1700 and 2000 m above sea level, mean annual temperatures of between 18 and 280 C, and mean annual rainfall of 250 and 1000 mm, Soil type: It normally prefers heavy, clayey soils, stony gravely alluvial soils or humic soils.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
A. seyal can be propagated by seedlings, wildings, direct sowing at site and suckers. The trees can be cut at the age of 8 – 15 years, depending on population pressure and demand for wood. Sometimes the stem is cut at 1.5 – 2 m above the ground to allow the development of a new canopy; Pruning of small branches gives better forage yield than lopping of large branches, pollarding and coppicing may also be undertaken in its management. Evaluation of the response to lopping and cutting of A. seyal var. seyal indicates limited recovery capacity in mature trees. Beating branches to detach leaves and fruits without damaging the axially buds is therefore preferred over lopping to make good use of these trees as dry season source of fodder. It may occurs in woodlots and mixed enrichment planting systems
Products:
Food: it produces edible gum which is eaten when fresh, although it has slightly acid taste. It can also be mixed with pulp from the fruit of Balanites aegyptiaca to make syrup.
Fodder: The bark is extensively used for feeding cattle, sheep and goats during the dry season. When fresh, it is smooth and relatively soft.
Apiculture: It has a yellow fragrant in the flowers which yields white-coloured honey with mild aroma.
Fuel: A. seyal produces good, dense firewood that is used widely throughout the areas where it is found. Its smoke is pleasantly fragrant and the wood burns quickly.
Fibre: The bark of A. seyal can be used for making ropes. This fibre has promising technological characteristics for use as particleboard.
Timber: A. seyal wood has potential in rural areas as timber, if the tree is grown with few knots and straight grain, sprayed with insecticide after felling, and treated with preservatives, the timber works well and is hard and tough.
Gum or resin: The gum from A. seyal is of inferior quality to that of A. senegal (gum arabic). However, it forms ten percent of the Sudanese gum exported to India and Europe. The gum is edible when fresh, with a slightly acidic taste.
Tannin or dyestuff: tannin is extracted from the pods and bark. Gum can then mixed with soot and powdered Nubian sandstone for making black and red ink.
Poison: Smoke produced by burning the wood of A. seyal can act as a fumigant against insects and lice.
Medicine: Extracts from the bark, leaves and gums are used for colds, diarrhoea, hemorrhage, jaundice, headache and burns. A bark decoction is used against leprosy and dysentery, is a stimulant and acts as a purgative for humans and animals. Exposure to smoke can relieve rheumatic pains and a root decoction mixed with leaves of Combretum glutinosum and curdled milk causes strong diuresis.
Services:
Shade or shelter: Where it grows, A. seyal offers shade to livestock when it is hot.
Boundary or barrier or support: In many areas, farmers cut branches of A. seyal to make fences, thorny branches are good for this purpose and last about 2 years.
Soil improvement: they help in nutrient cycling when the leaves fall.
Windbreak: they reduce the speed of the wind which could otherwise be destructive.
3. Pests and Diseases
Above forty species of insects are reportedly associated with A. seyal though bostrychid, Sinoxylon senegalense is the most notorious in swiftly locating and infesting freshly cut woods especially if lying on the ground.Infestation can be minimized by removal of the bark and stacking cut stems upright. Treatment of the woods by creosote to prolongs its durability.
4. Information Source Links
Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005)Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
Albrecht J. ed. 1993. Tree seed hand book of Kenya. GTZ Forestry Seed Center Muguga, Nairobi, Kenya.
Beentje HJ. 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya.
Bein E. 1996. Useful trees and shrubs in Eritrea. Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), Nairobi, Kenya.
Local Names: Bajun (Mkengewa); Kamba (Kivovoa, Mwelele, Musewa); Luhya (Kumukokwe); Luo (Ogongo, Suahowe, Swaruri); Swahili (Mkengewa).
1. Introduction
General Distribution:
It is widespread in India and the tropical Africa. In Kenya, it’s found in wooded grassland and riverine woodland. It is common along Thika road, Kisumu, South Nyanza, Narok, Taita-Taveta, Machakos and Kilifi.
Distribution of Acacia plycantha in Kenya(c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
General Information about the Tree:
This acacia’s wood is resinous, hence termite resistant. Its tree is a host to many insects. The presence of this tree may indicate presence of fertile soils and ground water but it can also grow on stony soils.
Biophysical Limits:
It does well in the altitude ranges of 200 – 1,800m. It does well in fertile soils but is often found in poorly drained soils. It is found in Agro climatic zones III – IV.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
Seedlings, wildings or direct sowing at site may be used for propagation. Good seeds take 10 to 20 days to germinate and this is at 60 – 90% rate. This tree is fast growing on good sites and pollarding, coppicing and pruning can be used in their management. Pruning is necessary to avoid the big branches breaking from strong winds.
Products:
Fodder; pods, leaves and seeds are eaten by animals
Fuel; is a good source of firewood and charcoal
Timber
Medicine
Food
Bee forage
Services:
Ornamental
Soil conservation
Nitrogen fixing
3. Pests and Diseases
There is no information on diseases and pests for this tree. There is no serious problem caused by pests and diseases.
4. Information Source Links
Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
It is native to Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is common in the dry parts of Africa and Asia. In Kenya, it is widespread in the ASALS of Kenya in dry Acacia-Commiphora bush land.
Distribution of Acacia senegal in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre
General information about the tree:
A. senegal has clear to pink or yellow edible gum produced when the tree bark is wounded. It is picked and eaten casually by people living in the dry north of Kenya, and extensively cultivated in Sudan for its gum.
Biophysical limits:
Flourishes in the altitude range of 100 to 1700 m above sea level; Mean annual temperatures -4 to 48 deg. C and mean annual rainfall of 300 to 1200 mm annually. Soil type varies from coarse-textured, deep sandy soils to dry, rocky soils, slightly acidic to moderately alkaline. It is intolerant to waterlogging and prefers well-aerated soils, especially rocky, loam or sandy soils. It is distributed in agroecological zones III – VII.
2. Propagation and Tree Management
It can be propagated by direct sowing at site and grows slowly in arid lands. It occurs in woodlots and mixed farming systems. Weeding should be immediate in the season following planting and in the following two consecutive growing seasons. Young trees must be protected from livestock browsing on them. Lopping, coppicing, pruning and appropriate injuring for production of gum arabic are employed in tree management. Seeds should be harvested before pods drying for easy collection and to avoid insect attacks. Seeds are then easily extracted by hand, then, they are should be immediately dusted with an insecticide.
Products:
Food; seeds are dried and conserved for human consumption as a vegetable. It also produces edible gum.
Fuel; produces excellent fuelwood and charcoal, sometimes it may be the only surviving species in the dry areas.
Timber; a source for poles, posts and toolhandles.
Medicine; the roots are used for medicine extraction for treating dysentery, gonorrhea and nodular leprosy.
Fodder; the pods and leaves are used as fodder for camel and goats.
Apiculture; it is a source of bee forage, soil conservation, sand stabilization, Commercial “gum arabic” and resin; it is commercially exploited for making food stabilizer, glue, pharmaceutical uses.
Services:
Erosion control; A. senegal can be used for desertification control, re-establishment of a vegetative cover in degraded areas, sand dune fixation and wind erosion control due to their tolerance for water scarcity.
Soil improver: Improves soil fertility by nutrient cycling after leaf fall.
Ornamental: It is grown as an ornamental tree in some parts.
Boundary or barrier or support: cut branches are useful for fencing in cattle rearing due to their spines.
Intercropping: It is a good species for agroforestry systems; it has been grown in combination with watermelon, millets and forage grasses.
3. Pests and Diseases
Seedlings are susceptible to the buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala bubalus) attacks. Spiders the Cyclops sp., can smother young growing apices. Coleoptera (bruchids), Lepidoptera, and Hymenoptera can damage the seeds during their larval stage of development. Locusts, Acridium melanorhodon cause widespread damage by defoliating them in an overnight. Other A. senegal enemies include; the fungi Cladosporium herbarium, Fusarium sp., Ravenelia acaciae-senegalae and R. acaciocola.
4. Information Source Links
Albrecht J. ed. 1993. Tree seed hand book of Kenya. GTZ Forestry Seed Center Muguga, Nairobi, Kenya.
Beentje HJ. 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya.
Bein E. 1996. Useful trees and shrubs in Eritrea. Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), Nairobi, Kenya.
This tree is distributed from the Middle East through eastern Africa and south to South Africa and Namibia. Also west through the Sahel to Gambia and Senegal. In Kenya, it is common in Rift valley along R. Turkwel around Oloitoktok; also in Taveta.
Distribution of Acacia albida in Kenya (c) Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre.
General Information about the Tree:
This tree is native to Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Republic of, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The species is commonly used in agroforestry in W. Africa where it’s grown widely spaced and intercropped in sorghum and millet. It is deep rooted and its wood is not durable in the ground. Naming of species has been moved between Acacia albida andFaidherbia albida, and the taxonomy is still not clear. Future name changes may occur.
Biophysical Limits:
Altitude: -270 – 2700 m, Mean annual temperature: 18-30 deg. C, Mean annual rainfall: 250 – 1200 mm, Soil type: Coarse-textured well-drained alluvial soils. It tolerates seasonal waterlogging and salinity but cannot withstand heavy clayey soils. Does well in agro-ecological zones IV – VII (riverine).
2. Propagation and Tree Management
Seedlings and direct sowing at site may be used for propagation. Pruning in the 2nd year to about half the tree height may be needed to control low branching. Repeated pruning during periods of average biomass production stimulates leaf production. It can be pruned twice a year. Resulting re-growth is especially vigorous in the 1st year but decreases as exploitation continues; trees show stress at the end of the 6th year. Regular lopping (once every 3 – 4 years) removing 0.4 – 0.5m3 of foliage (or 35% of the total volume) at the start of the growing season is recommended. However, care should be taken as improper methods of lopping have been observed to cause wounds, predisposing the tree to attack by pathogens. This tree responds well to coppicing.
Products:
Food: During the dry season, people eat the seeds and pods (eaten cooked or raw in times of famine by the Pokot and Turkana) and also pods may be used in flavouring.
Fodder: The leaves and pods are palatable to domestic animals and an important source of protein for livestock in the dry season.
Apiculture: For bee-keepers, it has the advantage of producing flowers at the end of the rains while most of the sahelian species flower just before or during the rains. It therefore becomes the main source of pollen and nectar at this time.
Fuel: The plant stems are used as firewood. The calorific value is estimated at about 19.741 kJ/kg of dry wood. Charcoal yields are low (17%) of the biomass.
Timber: The heartwood (specific gravity 0.56-0.71) is pale and creamy, brown sapwood slightly paler than the heartwood. The wood is susceptible to staining fungi and pinhole borer when green; therefore, it is left to soak for several months to remove sap and minimize attack by fungi, borers and termites. Even after the most careful seasoning, the boards tend to spring and twist one or two hours after they are sawn. The wood works fairly easily by hand, but a smooth finish is difficult to obtain. Care must be taken when nailing, bolting and joining. It is used to make utensils, canoes, furniture, boxes, drums and oil presses. Medicine: The use of bark and roots either externally or internally against respiratory infections, digestive disorders, malaria and other fevers is widespread. The bark can be used to clean teeth, as it is believed to contain fluorine; a bark extract is used for treating toothache in humans and eye infections in livestock. Fibre: its bark may be used for making strings. Dye: the bark can also be used for extraction of dye
Services
Soil fertility: F. albida sheds its leaves in the rainy season; therefore, boosting the nutrient status of the soil for the new season’s crops. The fact that the tree is leafless during the rainy season minimizes competition for sunlight with crops and protects them from birds until harvest time. It is recommended for integration with maize as an alternative to Leucaena leucocephala. In addition to improving soil fertility, this tree species has many other uses;
Shade or shelter: F. albida is maintained and protected on farms to shade coffee and to provide shade for livestock in the dry season.
Reclamation: The plant’s spreading root system offers excellent protection to the banks of watercourses.
Ornamental: A useful ornamental tree for gardens and avenues.
Boundary/barrier/support: Branches lopped for fencing compounds and livestock enclosures.
Windbreaks: the tree is also useful when it comes to shielding buildings and even weaker crops from strong winds.
3. Pests and Diseases
Ficus thoningii and Taphinanthus dodoneifolius are epiphytes that kill the plant through strangulation. Nematodes and insect pests include bruchid beetles, which attack the seeds, Kraussiana angulifera and Tylotropidius gracilipes (Orthoptera), which attack young plants, and Cypsotidia angulifera, C. mesonema and C. wollastoni (Lepidoptera), which attack the leaves.
4. Information Source Links
Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre. www.worldagroforestrycentre.org
