Fabaceae FAMILY

Colophospermum mopane

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Colophospermum mopane is a small to medium-sized deciduous, spineless tree, often with a thin, V-shaped crown; it usually grows from 4 - 18 metres tall but exceptionally can reach 30 metres[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The tree produces one or more straight boles that can be 50 - 100cm in diameter[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. When growing in drier areas, the plant is more shrub-like, with more branches[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. A useful multi-purpose tree, it is often harvested from the wild for its medicinal uses and also for a wide range of commodities. The tree is also used in soil stabilization projects and is occasionally used as a source of food. Mopane is an important tree as an ecological dominant and fodder plant for many animals, particularly elephant[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ]. The pendulous leaves fold their single pair of leaflets together in hot sun and afford little shade, the large tracts of woodland being infamous for their monotony and lack of shade[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeSouthern Africa - Gabon, Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, south to S. Africa.

HabitatThe dominant species over great areas in hot, dry, low-lying areas; often found on alluvial soils, but also tolerating alkaline and poorly drained soils. It is found at elevations of 60 - 1,000 metres, occasionally to 1,300 metres[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. , 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ].