''Pericopsis laxiflora'' is a woody deciduous shrub or tree within the

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

family. Sold commercially as satin wood, it is known in some regions as Kulu Kulu, among the

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

speaking people, it is called Makarfo, the

Yorubas The Yoruba people ( ; , , ) are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, which are collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outsid ...

call it Ayan and the

Igbos The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and historically also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', / / ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Their primary origin is fo ...

call it Abua-Ocha. It is one of three species in the genus Pericopsis genus that occurs in Africa. The species contains the

alkaloid Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...

s: N-methylcytisine, ammodendrine, and choline.

Description

A tree or shrub, common growth reaches between 9 and 12 meters tall but occasionally grows up to 2 meters tall as a shrub. Trunk usually twisted, rarely straight and with twisted branches, bark is smooth, grey to beige in color while stem is

pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-lik ...

. Leaves, alternate arrangement, 4–6 pairs, upper surface imparipinate, shiny and lower surface glabrous. Leaf-blade, lanceolate to ovate in outline, 3–7 cm long and 2.5–5 cm wide, acuminate apex with cuneate base. Petiole, 15–20 cm long.

Distribution

Occurs widely in the Savannah and dry forest regions of West Africa.

Uses

Root, bark, leaf decoctions are used to treat stomach ailments in

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

, while in Guinea, plant extracts are used to treat

shigellosis Shigellosis, known historically as dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by ''Shigella'' bacteria. Symptoms generally start one to two days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and feeling the need to pass ...

. In Ghana, it is used as a topical treatment for body pain and among some locals in Cameroon, the plant extracts are used by diabetes patients.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6072455 Flora of West Tropical Africa Faboideae