Brachystegia utilis Hutch. & Burtt Davy

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Road down to Nyamuakwarara River, John Meikle Research Station

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Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Tree 7—12 m occasionally up to 20 m in height. Bark smooth at first, grey, roughish with age fracturing into small chunky pieces. Young branchlets with distinct brownish hairs. Dormant axillary buds globose. Leaves 5−13 cm long, rhachis slender, channelled; stipels elliptic, below each pair of leaflets. Leaflets usually pubescent in 5−10, up to 12, subequal pairs, middle pairs the largest, 2.5−6 × 0.8−1.8 cm, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate; apex acute, retuse, round, or emarginate; base obliquely rounded; midvein central or subcentral. Flowers in terminal panicles; sepals green, hairy; petals absent. Pods woody, flat, hairless, 10 × 3 cm.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	utilis: useful, possibly referring to the many uses of the bark.
Habitat:	Miombo woodland on rocky ridges, hill slopes and flat sandy areas.
Altitude range:	300 - 1800 m
Flowering time:	Sep - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Burundi, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
Malawi distribution:	N,C,S
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Brummitt, R.K., Chikuni, A.C., Lock, J.M. & Polhill, R.M. (2007). Leguminosae Subfamily Caesalpinioideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(2) Pages 86 - 112. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 121. Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 245. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 10. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 212. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 243. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 43. Smith, P. & Allen, Q. (2004). Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Miombo Woodlands Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ISBN 1 84246 073 0 Pages 112 - 113. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Pages 90 - 91.

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Flora of Burundi: Brachystegia utilis
Flora of Mozambique: Brachystegia utilis
Flora of Zambia: Brachystegia utilis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Brachystegia utilis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Brachystegia utilis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Brachystegia utilis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Brachystegia utilis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Brachystegia utilis
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iNaturalist: Brachystegia utilis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Brachystegia utilis
JSTOR Plant Science: Brachystegia utilis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Brachystegia utilis
Plants of the World Online: Brachystegia utilis
Tropicos: Brachystegia utilis
Wikipedia: Brachystegia utilis