| Climbing flat bean | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Foliage of Dalbergia obovata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Dalbergia |
| Species: | D. obovata |
| Binomial name | |
| Dalbergia obovata E.Mey. | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Dalbergia obovata (climbing flat bean) is a robust shrub or climber in the family Fabaceae, and is native to Southern Africa. [2]
This species favours coastal and riverine forest [3] and forest margins as well as wooded slopes, and deciduous woodland. [2] It is found from the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique to Tanzania. [2]
Dalbergia obovata is a canopy climber that grows up to 30 m tall in the wild [2] or a small tree up to 6 m tall. [3] It has modified, tendril-like branches that enable the plant to support itself on surrounding vegetation. [2] The leaves are compound with alternate leaflets, and glossy green above and blue-grey beneath with a wavy margin. [3] The flowers are produced in dense heads in the leaf axils and ends of the branchlets. [3] The flowers are whitish and fragrant (sweetly scented [3] ). [4] The fruits are flattened pods that are pale yellow to brown in colour, and form in clusters. [3] Each pod contains 1-3 seeds. [4]
There is some variation between East African plants and the typical South African form: The leaflet-apices of East African specimens are less frequently pointed, there are few lateral nerves, and the fruits are generally relatively narrower and less hairy. [4] Some of the specimens from southern Mozambique show a cline towards the East African form, and so no formal taxonomic distinction seems necessary between Eastern and Southern African forms. [4]
The stems are used for traditional woven hut walls and fishing baskets (in Maputaland [3] ). [5] The heavy reddish wood is used for sticks and stools. [3] [5] A root infusion is used to treat stomach-ache and toothache, [5] and the roots are used to make a Zulu love charm. [3] The bark is used to treat sore mouths in babies and for making rope (twine [3] ), and ash from burnt bark is added to snuff. [3] [5] Dalbergia obovata is also used as a garden plant because of its showy flowers [5] and can make an impenetrable hedge. [3] The leaves can be used to feed livestock. [2] [3] [5]
As a legume these plants fix nitrogen in the soil for other plants to use. [2] Beetles and a wide variety of other insects are attracted to the flowers. [2] The leaves are heavily browsed by game animals. [2] [3] Dalbergia obovata is an important foodplant for Dassies (hyrax). [2] These plants also provide food for birds. [2] The leaves of Dalbergia obovata were noted being used on a daily basis to line the nest of a pair of green malkohas ( Ceuthmochares aereus ) while the eggs were being incubated, but this ceased once the eggs hatched. [6] There were no Dalbergia obovata in the immediate vicinity of the nest, and the birds had to fly some distance to find the leaf species of their choice for nest lining. [6] Dalbergia obovata is also one of the larval foodplants of the common sailer ( Neptis laeta ). [7]
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Leucosidea sericea, commonly known as oldwood, is an evergreen tree or large shrub that grows in the Afromontane regions of southern Africa. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Leucosidea. The name oldwood may reflect the fact that the wood burns slowly as if old and rotting, but the gnarled twisted trunks reinforce this impression.
Raphia australis, the giant palm or rafia, is a species of raffia palm in the family Arecaceae. It is found around Kosi Bay in southern Mozambique and northeastern KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by drainage of its habitat for agriculture; it is being threatened in the Bobole Special Reserve but is more secure in the Kosi Bay area.
Annona senegalensis, commonly known as African custard-apple, wild custard apple, wild soursop, sunkungo, and dorgot is a species of flowering plant in the custard apple family, Annonaceae. The specific epithet, senegalensis, translates to mean "of Senegal", the country where the type specimen was collected.
Jasminium abyssinicum is a species of jasmine, in the family Oleaceae.
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Southern African Sand Forest is a sand forest, or a subtropical forest plant community of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome. It grows on ancient sand dunes in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique. In South Africa these forests are known simply as Sand Forest, while in Mozambique they are known as Licuati Forest. The Southern African sand forest is part of the Maputaland coastal forest mosaic ecoregion.
Capparis fascicularis, the zigzag caper-bush, is a plant in the Capparaceae family and is native to Africa.
Erythrophleum suaveolens, also known as the ordeal tree, is a species of plant that can be found in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The species are 20 metres (66 ft) in height, and have a rough and blackish bark. The plants leaves have 2–3 pairs of pinnae, which carry 7–13 leaflets. The leaflets are 5 by 2.5 centimetres, are green coloured and ovate. The flowers have fluffy spikes, and are creamy-yellow coloured. Fruits are hard, the pod of which is flat.
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Erythrina zeyheri, commonly known as the ploughbreaker, is a deciduous, geoxylic subshrub and member of the Fabaceae, which is endemic to southern Africa. It grows no more than 60 cm tall and occurs naturally in the higher altitude grasslands of South Africa's central plateau, and that of adjacent Lesotho. They favour deep clay soil in the vicinity of creeks and marshes, and often form colonies. Its specific name commemorates the 19th century botanist, Karl Zeyher.
Newtonia hildebrandtii, the Lebombo wattle, is a medium-sized tree native to eastern Africa. It is a protected tree in South Africa.
Maerua cafra (DC.) Pax is a small Southern African tree belonging to Capparaceae, the caper family, occurring eastwards along the coast from Knysna, then further inland and northwards through KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland to the Transvaal, southern Mozambique and southern Zimbabwe. The genus Maerua comprises about 60 species found in Africa and Asia.
Dalbergia armata is a scrambling, deciduous species of legume that is native to subtropical to temperate regions of southeastern Africa. The robust, woody liana or small tree is armed with strong spines on the main stem and branches. It occurs sparsely or commonly in forest, bush, riparian fringes and in wooded ravines. It is sometimes employed as a bonsai subject, and it can be propagated from either seed or cuttings.
Cnestis polyphylla, or itch pod, is a liane or scrambling shrub belonging to the family Connaraceae and occurring south from Kenya in East Tropical Africa through Mozambique and Zimbabwe to Southern Africa where it is found in coastal and escarpment forest in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal, and further south to the Eastern Cape. It also grows on the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion. The genus has at least 13 species with many still unresolved. They are distributed mainly in tropical Africa and nearby islands, but extend to SE Asia and China.
Stereospermum kunthianum is an African deciduous shrub or small tree occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It is widespread across Africa to the Red Sea, and reaches as far south as Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There are some 30 species with a Central African and Asian distribution.
Encephalartos natalensis, the Natal cycad or giant cycad, is a species of cycad that is endemic to the Qumbu and Tabankulu areas of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, and through most of KwaZulu-Natal. The number of mature individuals of this species is declining and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "near threatened".
Dracaena mannii Baker or small-leaved dragon tree, is a small to medium-sized tree, though recorded up to 30 m tall with stem to 2 m in diameter in Cameroon and Gabon. It occurs from Senegal to Angola along the African west coast, is widespread in tropical Africa and is found along the African east coast from Kenya to Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It prefers lowland, submontane and montane forests which are either moist and evergreen, swampy or on coastal dunes. It is also found along forest edges, in clearings and on river banks from sea level to 1,800 metres. It is one of some 120 species currently recognised, which occur primarily in Africa and southern Asia with a single vagrant species in Central America. The species is named after Gustav Mann (1836–1916), a German botanist, who corresponded with John Gilbert Baker.
Drypetes arguta, commonly known as the water ironplum, is a species of small tree or large bush in the family Putranjivaceae. It is native to tropical East Africa. It was first described in 1920 by the English botanist John Hutchinson, who named it Cyclostemon argutus. It was later transferred to the genus Drypetes.