Sclerocarya birrea

Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst. subsp. caffra (Sond.) Kokwaro (Sclerocarya caffra Sond.)

Common names

Marula (English); musewe, musebe, msewe (Bemba/Kunda/Nyanja/Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Sclerocarya birrea is a large deciduous tree, up to 20 m in height. Bark pale grey when young becoming dark grey-brown and scaly with age, flaking to reveal red underbark. Produces red sap when wounded. Leaves compound, imparipinnate, crowded at the end of the branches, ca. 20 cm long with 3-8 pairs of leaflets plus a terminal leaflet. Leaflets oblong-elliptic, 5-8 x 2-4 cm, pale grey-green above, paler below, glabrous. Margins entire or serrate on young plants. Leaves fall in May. Flowers inconspicuous, pink/white. Male and female flowers appear on separate trees, male flowers produced in racemes 5-8 cm long and female flowers singly or in small groups (September-November). Fruit a plum-like drupe, up to 3 cm in diameter, ripening from green to yellow. Each fruit contains a very hard stone surrounded by soft, edible, rather fibrous flesh (April May).

Range and habitat

Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra occurs throughout central, eastern and southern Africa, and is also found in Madagascar. In the Luangwa Valley, it is primarily associated with riverine fringe woodland and thicket. The tree is widespread in the alluvial area, especially on sand, and occasionally elsewhere in the valley.