Entandrophragma caudatum

Entandrophragma caudatum Sprague

Common names

Wooden banana (English); mofu (Bemba); mulolo (Kunda); mpanji, nabalali, ngovu, ngundangoma (Nyanja); mungovu (Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A large deciduous tree with an open or rounded crown, the bole is sometimes fluted and the bark grey and scaly, flowers are yellowish white or green and borne in clusters in September with the new leaves; fruits are very distinctive and ripen July to August, they are up to 18 x 6 cm, cigar shaped, when ripe the vaLevees and sand deposits of major riverses split like a peeled banana.

Range and habitat

Levees and sand deposits of major rivers

This is an uncommon tree in the Park but it sometimes occurs on sandy old alluvium. It is more common in southern Zambia on Kalahari sand. Elsewhere it is confined to Southern Africa.