Kumukholondo - The Bad smelling tree (Acacia macrothyrsa)

Derivation of the name: Namukholondo - name for a type of black ant that smells extremely bad. The tree has a similar smell.

Natural habitat and distribution in bungoma : Habitat: combretum-wooded grassland, rocky sites. Distribution: rare species in wooded grassland, common on termite mounds, occasionally found in cultivated land.

Description: Bark rough, dark grey to blackish fissured. Leaves of leaflets. Gland near to there base of the swollen petiole. Flowers fragrant, in large, blanched terminal inflorescence, flowers in heads, yellow to rather orange. Pod almost black or dark brown, up to 20 cm long. glossy.

Physical features: Shape: small to medium-sized tree up to 15 m high, many-branched, branches pending. Crown: spreading to rounded. Foliage: medium dense, semi-permeable, deciduous.

Biological features: Mulch: yearly litter fall, good quality, leaves decompose rather fast.

Tree/crop association: The tree does not show any competition to crops and is accepted to grow in culctivated fields. Biomass production: rather slow growing as compared to  other Acacia species.

Other characteristics: the wood is hard there tree is resistant to termites, fire, frost and drought. Reproduction: seeds, root suckers.

Management: pollarding, lopping, coppicing,. Straight growth of poles after pollarding.

Ecological Benefit: diversity aspect.

Tree product and use: fuelwoods, charcoal, bee-forage, fodder, timber, posts, carvings.

Medicinal application: Leaves: snake repellent. measles, malaria, embaa. Root: back ache, STD, stomach-ache. Bark: against cattle disease.