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Millettia stuhlmannii - Taub.

Common Name Panga-panga, Partridge wood
Family Fabaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards The sawdust may cause dermatitis, asthma and irritation to throat, nose and eyes[299 ].
Habitats Deciduous woodland, where it can be locally dominant, favouring areas of higher rainfall and the moister soils of riverine forests; at elevations up to 900 metres[328 ].
Range East tropical Africa - southern Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northern S. Africa.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (4 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Full sun
Millettia stuhlmannii Panga-panga, Partridge wood


Wendy Cutler wikimedia.org
Millettia stuhlmannii Panga-panga, Partridge wood
Wendy Cutler wikimedia.org

 

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Summary

Millettia stuhlmannii or commonly known as Panga Panga or Partridge Wood is a deciduous tree native to southeastern Afrotropics. The leaves are compound, large, green, and comprised of seven to nine pairs of opposite leaflets. The trunk is cylindrical and can be up to 120 cm in diameter. Decoction of the root is used in the treatment of stomach pain. The wood is resistant to fungi, dry wood borer, and termites attack. It is heavy and highly durable, making it an ideal flooring and furniture material and for heavy construction.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of lolypop
Millettia stuhlmannii is a deciduous Tree growing to 15 m (49ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Lonchocarpus mossambicensis Sims

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

None known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

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A root decoction is drunk to treat stomach-ache[299 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Dye  Fencing  Furniture  Wood

Agroforestry Uses: Poles planted during the rainy season serve as a live fence[299 ]. Other Uses The heartwood contains robinetin, a dye-precursor for keratin-based fibres[299 ]. The heartwood is dark brown or black-brown, with bands of whitish tissue giving a characteristic 'partridge-breast' figure on tangential surfaces; it is sharply demarcated from the 25 - 75mm wide band of pale yellow sapwood. The grain is straight; texture fine to medium; abundant gum deposits are present. The wood is heavy, very durable, being resistant to fungal, dry-wood borer and termite attacks, but the sapwood is susceptible to powder-post beetle attack. It is somewhat difficult to saw and work, and sawteeth and cutting tools may blunt rapidly; stellite-tipped sawteeth and tungsten-carbide tipped cutting tools are recommended; a 15° cutting angle is recommended in planing. It turns well; can be polished to a fine surface, but this should be done carefully to avoid splinters; pre-boring before nailing and screwing is needed; the wood holds nails well. The wood can be rotary cut for veneer, but prior intensive steaming is needed. The gluing and varnishing properties are poor due to the presence of resin cells; the use of a filler improves the results considerably[299 ]. The wood is highly valued for light and heavy flooring and for furniture. It is popular in the veneer industry, where it is used for decorative furniture. It is also used for joinery, panelling, cabinet work, doors, staircases, window frames, carving, turnery and musical instruments. It is suitable for heavy construction, ship and boat building, mine props, railway sleepers, vehicle bodies, implements, toys, novelties, precision equipment, boxes and crates, but for many of these purposes it is no longer used because of its high price[299 ].

Special Uses

Coppice  Nitrogen Fixer

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

The tree responds well to coppicing[299 ]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[755 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - Stem cuttings planted at the onset of the rainy season usually show fair survival rates[299 ]. Suckers may develop from the roots[299 ].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Panga-panga

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Tanzania, United Republic of; Mozambique; Zimbabwe

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Millettia dielsiana Shrub5.0 -  LMHNM12 
Millettia laurentiiWengeTree25.0 10-12 MLMHNM043
Millettia reticulataJi Xue TengClimber5.0 7-10  LMHNM031

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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