Tree of invisibility - Kumukikhili - Kumukomari(Kiswahili) (cordia africana)

Derivation of the name: Khukhilikha - invisible. The name refers to the characteristics of the tree being very durable and resistant against termites.

Natural habitat and distribution in bungoma: Habitat: moist and dry forest, woodland, wooded grassland. Distribution: Widely distributed throughout the district, common in forest remnants, abundant in cropland.

Description: Bark dark grey to brown, smooth when young, rough and longitudinally fissured with age. Leaves large, broadly ovate, 20-30cm broad, slightly sandpapery above, tomentose below with defined net-veining.  Flowers white, sweet - scented, appear in plenty in terminal inflorescence. Fruit yellow to orange, fleshy drupe, sweet, sticky.

Physical features: shape: medium sized tree up to 15 m high, much branched but rather straight trunk. Crown: rounded. Foliage: decidouos, rather dense.

Biological Features: Mulch: excellent mulch quality, much litter fall, the leaves decompose rather slow.

Tree/Crop association: one of the most common shade trees in coffee and bananas: associated with all types of crops.

Rooting system: deep roots as well as spreading roots near the surface.

Biomass Production: fairly fast growing species, abundant leafy biomass production.

Reproduction: seeds, coppicing.

Management: pollarding, loping coppicing, root pruning.

Ecological benefits: soil conservation, windbreak.

Tree products and use: timber, poles, posts, furniture, fuelwood, charcoal, bee-forage, fodder, shade, ornamental, granary, mulch and green manure, glue out of seeds, traditional stool, ox-yoke, bee-hive, canoes.

Medicinal Applications: Bark/root: STD, backache.