Economic Importance of Peltophorum africanum

Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Caesalpinieae
Genus: Peltophorum
Species: Peltophorum africanum
Origin: Uganda

Description: Semi-deciduous to deciduous trees with a spreading, untidy canopy.  The leaves are acacia-like and silver-grey covered with fine hair. The leaves are twice compound with a pair of leaflets at the tip; alternate; up to nine pairs of pinnate each with 10-20 pairs of leaflets. Flowers form upright, showy sprays of bright yellow flowers with crinkled petals on the ends of branches.

Economic Importance:

• The wood is used to make furniture, axe handles, buckets and ornaments; it is also used as fuel.
• Young leaves and pods are eaten by livestock.
• Flowers provide a high yield of nectar and pollen for bee-keeping. The timber can be used for furniture.
• The wood is good for fuel. It makes a good shade tree for both livestock and humans.
• Roots are used to heal wounds, toothache and throat sores; root, leaves and bark used to clear intestinal parasites and relieve stomach problems; bark relieves colic; stem and root used for diarrhoea and dysentery. It is also used to treat eyes

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