Sasswood tree is native to Uganda. A tree widespread in tropical Africa from Senegal to Mozambique. It grows in lowland rain forest, woodlands and thickets in Uganda; most common in Bunyoro and lake-side forest, 1,000-1,500 m. In Kampala, this tree can be found within Makerere university among other places.

An unarmed forest tree, usually about 20 m (9-30 m) m, the trunk often wavy, short with large branches to a spreading crown, rounded and dense. Buttresses usually absent or short and blunt, the trunk spread out at the base.

BARK: brown-black and rough with clear orange lenticels; flaking when older.

LEAVES: bipinnate on a stalk to 35 cm with only 2-4 pairs of pinnae. Leaflets dark green, shiny and oval, about 8 alternate on each side of the larger pinnae, one sided at the base, variable in size, 3-9 cm long, tips blunt but drawn out.

FLOWERS: tiny in fluffy cream-yellow spikes, densely crowded and very fragrant, hanging down from a branched stalk.

FRUIT: a woody flat pod 8-17 cm long and stalked, straight or slightly curved, red-purple-brown, leathery then woody, splitting down one side (the other opens much later) to release 5-11 thick brown seeds, each about 1.5 cm.

Medicine: bark, roots. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Erythrophleum+suaveolens

Agro forestry: nitrogen fixation and the large amount of leaf litter are advantageous to intercrops.

The bark contains tannins.

The powdered bark is mixed with the residue of palm oil processing, and after boiling it is mixed with seeds of maize, cowpea or cotton, which effectively reduces pest damage to the seeds.

The dried leaves are mixed with stored grains and pulses to repel or kill storage insects.

The wood provides firewood and charcoal is made from it.

The wood is suitable for joinery, heavy flooring, railway sleepers, harbour and dock work, turnery, construction and bridges. It is also used for boat building and wheel hubs.

An ornamental tree.

The bark has been used in arrow poisons and as ordeal poison and the bark and leaves as fish poison.