Crtd 05-05-13 Lastedit 14-08-20

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Mninga But Were Afraid to Ask

          The Mninga Tree  

Distribution and habitat The species is indigenous to East Africa from Tanzania to S. Africa. It occurs in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Its occurrence in the western parts of southern Africa is uncertain. It is found in Miombo woodlands but rarely in pure stands and sometimes as stunted trees in wooded grassland on mountain tops. In South Africa, it usually grows in the lowveld in woodland and bushveld in deep sandy soil and sometimes on hillsides. It prefers well-drained soils, is sensitive to frost and reputed to be resistant to fire. Within the area of natural distribution it is found at 0-1650 m altitude and annual rainfall of 700-1500 mm.    

Botanical description Medium to large tree, up to 16 m tall. Dark grey to brown, rough bark, longitudinally fissured. The bark exudes a blood-red, sticky substance when injured. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate with 5-9 pairs of subopposite to alternate leaflets. Leaflets ellipticlanceolate to obovate, 2.5 - 7 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide. Leaflet margins entire. Inflorescences large, 10-20 cm long, axillary or terminal panicles. Flowers orangeyellow, sweetly scented.

Fruit: large, 8-12 cm diameter circular

               The Mninga Pods

Click on this thumbnail to make your own
 mninga desktop background

                                                                                    Still life with fish and (varnished) mninga

More about mninga: http://www.dfsc.dk/pdf/Seedleaflets/Pterocarpus%20angolensis_int.pdf.

About hardwood tree protection see corruption

 

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