Kiaat tree

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Kiaat- this tree is part of the Fabaceae family and the genus of Pterocarpus, with the subfamily being Papilionaideae. It was placed in the genus of Pterocarpus of its unusual seed pods, In Greek meaning “wing fruit”. The kiaat’s seed pod is reminiscent of a brown fried egg. This brown papery and spiky seed pod stays on long after the leaves have fallen.

You can easily find the Kiaat by looking for its abundance of scented, orange- yellow flowers that bloom in the spring. This tree grows as tall as 15 meters and has dark brown bark; it is toped with a high canopy of shiny compound leaves. The kiaat grows in the countries of Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, Mozambique, and Namibia and northwards into other parts of Africa where it is warm and free of frost. The soil type must be deep sandy soil or well drained rocky slopes where the rainfall is above 500 mm per year.

The kiaat is feed upon by many animals that include the charaxes butterfly in larval state, squirrels, baboons and monkeys that feed upon the seed pods. The elephant has been known to destroy the kiaat by pushing it over.

There are several uses for the wood of the kiaat. Since the reddish brown heartwood is resistant to borer and termite and also polishes well it can be made into furniture, curios, and implements. Since the wood does not swell or shrink much it is great for canoe building. Furniture and curios are often made from the yellow sapwood. This wood also produces a rich, resonant sound which is why it is made into many different musical instruments. Not only is the wood great for building but it also has many medicinal uses. It has been recorded to treat ringworm, eye problems, blackwater fever, stabbing pains, malaria, and to increase the supply of breast milk. Since the sapwood is close in the resemblance to blood it has been believed to have magical healing powers concerning the blood. Because of all these reasons and that it is also fire resistant the kiaat is sometimes planted around the chief’s enclosure to make a living fence.

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