African locust-bean

Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G.Don (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae), the African locust-bean or néré, is a long-lived, deciduous savanna tree distributed in a broad band across sub-Saharan West and Central Africa from Senegal and the Gambia east to Sudan and Uganda. Mature trees reach 7-20 m tall with a heavy, low-branching trunk and a wide, flat-topped or umbrella-shaped crown casting deep shade. The bark is thick, scaly and ash-grey, exuding a clear amber gum when slashed. Leaves are large bipinnately compound, 20-40 cm long, with 10-30 pairs of pinnae each carrying 50-70 pairs of small oblong leaflets 4-8 mm long. The striking pendulous inflorescences are dense globose heads 5-7 cm across with bright crimson flowers, the staminal column protruding to give the head a bottle-brush appearance. Fruits are dark brown indehiscent pods 15-30 cm long, containing hard black seeds embedded in a sweet yellow mealy pulp.