Botanical Description
Amugis (Koordersiodendron pinnatum) also known as Dangila is a large evergreen that can reach up to 50 meters in height with a cylindrical bole and buttresses that can be as much as 2 meters tall. Its bark when mature is a dark brown or black with deep fissures running along it longitudinally. Its leaves are green and pinnate with a hairy rachis organized in an alternating spiral phyllotaxy. Its leaflets are subopposite and are an ovate-oblong with an oblique base and acuminate apex, the adaxial side is a glossy green while the abaxial side is a yellow-green shade. Its flowers are bisexual and borne on axillary panicles with each flower being bisexual, radially symmetrical, with free white or yellow-green petals, fused sepals, long stamens with subglobose anthers, and a superior ovary. The fruit that develops from its flowers is a drupe that is yellowish when mature with a cartilaginous endocarp, the seed inside the fruit is ellipsoid in shape.
Uses:
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Its leaves, bark, and even its exudates are used in local medicine and studies show that it may have anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties.
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The fruit is edible and supposedly tastes sweet.
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The wood is moderately durable, heavy, and has a dark red color. This uniform color makes it excellent for making furniture and flooring.
