Isoberlinia angolensis

Name and publication

Isoberlinia angolensis (Welw. ex Benth.) Hoyle & Brenan, Kew Bull. 4(1): 78 (1949).

Description

Sold as “suru pods” or “curve pods” in the potpourri trade, these fruits are probably a species of Isoberlinia, and I. angolensis closely matches. The woody, coiled pods, usually bleached and/or dyed for the trade, show spaces for 3-9 seeds on the interior, with anastomosing striae on the exterior. Flattened, they would be about 10-18 cm long x 3-4 cm wide.

Nativity and distribution

Isoberlinia angolensis is native to Africa (Angola, Malawi, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia).

Family

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae), also placed in Caesalpiniaceae

Synonymy

Berlinia angolensis Welw. ex Benth.