Magical Maputaland

[Klipspringer]

This is sort of travel tale, I want to show you some treasures of Maputaland in several episodes. Of course you can all contribute to this topic if you want to teach us something about nature, culture etc.
The idea is to have small chaptures featuring something entertaining or interesting and typical for Maputaland. We will do Africa Wild Homeschooling so to speak and it's all about Magical Maputaland.

Here is a map or two

The first episode will be about ordeal

[Lisbeth]

Great!

Unfortunately, I only know the very southern part, but you are going to widen my horizon, I am sure

[Richprins]

Klippies!

[Flutterby]

[Klipspringer]

Guily or not guilty? - the Ordeal Tree

tree 1.jpg (349.17 KiB) Viewed 1914 times

Erythrophleum lasianthum, commonly known as the Maputaland ordeal tree is only associated with the dry sand forest in Maputaland (and Mozambique). It's one of the big five sand forest trees.
It's now a rare tree, but locally common in the False Bay section of iSimagaliso and there are some specimens in Tembe Elephant Park.

This unique and evergreen tree with glossy dark leaves has a rounded crown with weeping foliage. Woolly flower spikes appear from September to November. They are honey scented and cremy green. Flat brown pods appear in December.

The bark, roots and seeds have poisonous and anaesthetic properties.

The powdered bark is used as a fish poison and medicinally. A large dose can be lethal . The bark is also sold as a snuff in traditional herbal shops in KZN as a treatment of migraines, headaches and what not. It is also taken internally as apurgative for abdominal paines. Infusions made from the bark are used as enemas and enemetics.

All parts of this tree are highly toxic due to alkaloids such as cassaine and erythrophleine which have cardiotonic activity.
The bark powder features also in the savage trial of ordeal practices as a magical muti.

Due to the extensive use for traditional medicine and the high retail price for roots and bark, the tree is now threatened.
In 1988 it was estimated that 201 bags (50kg-size) were sold annually by 54 traders KZN, and it was placed 32nd out of 400 species in terms of the quantity sold. It was also nominated by herb traders as one of the 10 species becoming increasingly scarce. The common name for the species is 'umKhwangu', and this name was recorded in 58% of muti shops and with 16% of Faraday Street traders in Johannesburg in 1994 and 2001 respectively. At the Medicinal Plant Red List Workshop (2008, SANBI, Durban), the participants discussed the threats to this species. The following points were raised: a) it has a very restricted habitat; b) harvesting is very destructive and large volumes of bark are removed from the tree; c) there are large quantities of the bark in the markets; d) it is difficult to find big patches of the bark; e) successive girdling of the tree is a problem and leads to tree mortality; f) the sand forest is loosing a lot of habitat outside of PAs due to deforestation and crop farming; g) elephants avoid debarking it, probably because of its toxicity.

[Alf]

Interesting

[Klipspringer]

The Trial of Ordeal

Local sangomas used the Ordeal Tree for trial ordeal practices. A person accused of a serious crime, was forced to a trial of ordeal. The population of the village gathers round and watches as the dried bark is pounded and a small amount of the powder is mixed with water and given to the accused to drink. The sangoma decides on the amount given. If the person is innocent, he would drink the mixture fast with a clear conscience, inducing vomiting before the poison could be absorbed. He will survive and is deemed innocent.
If the accused is guilty, he would drink reluctantly allowing absorption of the poison which caused him to be drowsy. Death is almost certain to follow and the person is assumed guilty. Of course the entire ordeal happens in full view of the audience. In the final stage, about after three hours, the victim becomes weaker and weaker until he is no longer able to stand. At this point, the crowd rushes in and they stone him to death. The relatives take the corpse into the bush, cover it with grass and leave it.

And interesting detail: A significant factor in the trial is the size of the dose, because a large dose will certainly produce vomiting. The outcome of the trial is therefore very much under control of the presiding sangoma.

I hope you enjoyed this little horror story

[Lisbeth]

Is the tree protected now, sale and use prohibited?

Better than the Salem witches

[Klipspringer]

Is the tree protected now, sale and use prohibited?

It's not a Protected Tree Species under the National Forests Act, I think there are only 47 trees protected.

But it is listed as near threatened in the SANBI National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants, which does not mean anything in terms of protection, I think.

[Lisbeth]

Probably not