NAME: Dichrostachys cinerea

FAMILY NAME: Leguminosae

COMMON NAMES: West African sickle bush, Princess's earrings, Chinese lantern tree, Kalahari Christmas tree, Bell mimosa

LOCAL NAMES: Kara, Ajagboluti, Ami ogwu, Dundu

MORPHOLOGY: They typically grow up to 7 metres (23 ft) in height and have strong alternate thorns, generally up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long. The bipinnately compound leaves are up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long. Flowers of the Dichrostachys cinerea are characteristically in bicoloured cylindrical spikes that resemble Chinese lanterns and are 6 to 8 centimetres (2.4 to 3.1 in) long and fragrant. Upper flowers of a hanging spike are sterile, and are of a lilac or pale purple. Pods are usually a mustard brown and are generally twisted or spiralled and may be up to 100 by 15 millimetres (3.94 in × 0.59 in). The species can be subcategorized with two slight variations that have been recognised: D. cinerea ssp. africana and D. cinerea ssp. nyassana, the latter which is typically larger and less hairy in its foliage.

PART(S): Bark, root, latex

GENERAL USES: Planted to serve as live fencing and as a fodder. The roots are used as a local anaesthetic for ailments such as snake bites, scorpion stings and toothache

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Cameroon, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, India, Indonesia and Australia

WHY IS IT GREEN: Treat dysentery, headaches, toothaches, elephantiasis, leprosy, syphilis coughs, Fever, stomach ache, toothache, diuretic, astringent, anthelmintics, scald,

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The leaves, rich in nutrients, are frequently used as a green manure. The sickle bush can be planted in the garden to show off the beautiful pink and yellow lantern flowers during early summer and the interesting branching pattern during winter. D. cinerea fixes atmospheric nitrogen.

It is also used in soil improvement, revegetation, land reclamation, soil conservation, erosion control, hedging and live fencing. It has been used for the stabilization of sand dunes and in soil conservation.

FUN FACT: The roots are used as a local anaesthetic for ailments such as snake bites, scorpion stings and toothache