Appearance
The tree typically reaches a height of about 16 metres although it is less tall in more drought-prone areas. In central Zambia and eastern Angola, magnificent specimens of about 18–19 metres are common due to the reliability of heavy rain during the growing season. It favours inland situations at an altitude of around 1000–1400 metres (due to the sharp difference between day and nighttime temperatures) although it grows down to sea level at its southern extremity. The tree presents a series of changes according to the seasons. It starts to lose its leaves as the cool season begins in late May (somewhat sluggishly) and by early August it is bare or nearly so. In late August as temperatures rise again, the new leaves are produced. These are often bright red in colour, but vary from almost purple to brownish in different individuals. The colour shifts to deep green over a period of 10–20 days. The insignificant flowers appear after the new leaves and these are followed by the dehiscent pods (about 12–15 cm in length) in April. As with many legume species the pods split explosively and the flat seeds (about 2 cm across) are flung some distance from the parent tree.
Read more about this topic: Brachystegia Spiciformis
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