I Sway.. CHISUBASUBI ( kotschya africana )

Derivation of the name:

Khusubasuba - to sway. The tree is ever swaying and hardly standing still.

Natural habitat and distribution in Bungoma:

Habitat: swamps, riverine vegetation.

Distribution: widespread swampy plains and waterlogged areas, occasionally forming pure stands.

Description: Bark  light brown, finely grooved or rather smooth. Branches glandular hairy, sticky to touch. Leaves pinnate, leaflets alternate, 20-40 in number, pubescent. Flower  yellow, inflorescence densely hairy, flowers are arranged in two rows.  Fruit a pod, rather flat, pubescent.

Physical Features: Shape: shrub up to 5m high but usually less, feathery appearance.

foliage: evergreen.

Biological features:

Tree/crop association: when swamp areas are drained the shrub may be left along ditches and field boundaries.

Biomas Production: Fairly fast growing.

Other characteristics: wood quite hard, nitrogen-fixing, rich nodulation.

Reproduction: seeds, coppices.

Management: coppicing.

Ecological benefits: soil conservation in swamp areas, soil improvement, reclamation of overgrazed land with impeded drainage.

Tree products and use: fuelwood, fodder, mulch.

Medicinal application: Root; abdominal upsets. The tree is used to treat poultry.

Related species: sesbania sesban.