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Faurea saligna

Authority Harv. Family Magnoliopsida:Rosidae:Proteales:Proteaceae Synonyms Common names African beech, beechwood, boekenhout, bosveldboekenhout, faia africana, isafo, isefo, isidwadwa, isiqalaba, mofufu, mohlako, mongena, monyena, mutango, n'wamidzumba, red boekenhout, rooiboekenhout, Transvaal beech, transvaalboekenhout, umcalathole, umonyela Editor Ecocrop code 38279

Notes
DESCRIPTION: It is a slender, graceful, semi-deciduous tree usually reaching 7-10 m in height but can become 20 m tall. Stem straight or twisted, sometimes swollen at the base, with a diameter of nearly 60 cm. Bark dark greyish-brown to almost black, rough and deeply fissured longitudinally. A spreading, fairly sparse crown develops with age. Leaves leathery, long, pointed, narrow, alternate, simple, 6.5-16 x 1.3-2.5 cm. USE: Wood is used as timber and for firewood and charcoal. Flowers produce nectar that is readily collected by honeybees. A red dye is obtained from the bark. The bark is boiled in broth and taken as a tonic, while roots are boiled and the liquid drunk as a remedy for diarrhoea and indigestion. It is planted for windbreaks, as an ornamental and trees are often left standing in cropland. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: African beech. FURTHER INF: It occurs in open woodland and on stony hillsides, sometimes along river banks. It can withstand moderate burning but it will not survive fierce grass fires. It is a common and graceful tree of the Transvaal bushveld and lowveld, where it grows in clumps or together in large numbers. It is widespread in highland savannah in Kenya, particularly around Mt Kenya, and is found in low- to high-altitude forest as far west as Nigeria. It is usually found on sandy or red loam soils and on stony slopes.
Sources
SOURCE: ICRAF Agroforestree Database (08.05.02) E38279