The species grows up to 7 meters tall with tuberous roots; branches are brown or grey and lenticellate.[4] Leaves: simple or 3-foliate; leaflets obovate to elliptic in outline and with a leathery surface, the leaflets are about 3-9 cm long and 1-5 cm wide, apex is obtuse to rounded while base is cuneate to rounded.[4]Inflorescence is terminal or axillary raceme like, white and green with spreading and wavy stamens.[5] Fruit is cucumber like in shape, ellipsoid and up to 6 cm long and contains numerous seeds.[4]
Distribution
Occurs in deciduous forests, opens woodland and riverine forests of Eastern Africa and in thickets.[6]
Uses
Extracts of the species are used in preparations to ease pain, bark extracts are used to treat snake bites and diarrhoea among the Samburu people of Kenya.[6] The tuberous roots are boiled and then drained a few times to reduce toxicity.[5]
1 2 3 Schmidt, Ernst (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Mervyn Lotter, Warren McCleland, John Burrow. Johannesburg: Jacana. ISBN1-919777-30-X. OCLC51322213.
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