Burkea is a monotypic genus of flowering trees in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the legume family Fabaceae, containing a single species, Burkea africana, commonly known as wild syringa or siri in Bambara. The genus belongs to the order Fabales and is distributed across the woodlands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Burkea africana is a deciduous, medium-sized, spreading tree with a characteristically flat-topped crown, reaching 4 to 20 metres in height. Its leaves are bipinnately compound and silvery pubescent or glabrescent. The flowers are creamy white, fragrant, and borne in pendulous racemes up to 300 mm long. The bark is toxic, rich in alkaloids and tannins, and has traditionally been used for tanning leather; pulverised bark is also thrown into water to stun or paralyse fish.
The genus is of ecological significance in African savanna ecosystems, where its foliage is consumed by the larvae of Saturniidae moths, and its bark is a favoured food source for Cape Porcupines, whose bark-stripping behaviour increases the trees' susceptibility to fire and reduces the number of individuals reaching maturity. The heartwood yields durable, insect-resistant timber with a moderately fine, wavy grain that is dark brown to reddish brown, valued for parquet flooring and fine cabinetmaking.
Etymology
The genus name Burkea honours Joseph Burke (1812–1873), a British botanist and plant collector who gathered specimens in southern Africa during the mid-nineteenth century.
Distribution
Burkea africana is widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, recorded from Senegal east to Sudan and south through much of tropical Africa to South Africa's Transvaal region. It grows in deciduous woodland and savanna at elevations of 270 to 1300 metres and is generally absent from humid tropical rain forests.
Ecology
The foliage of Burkea africana is browsed by larvae of two Saturniidae moths, Rohaniella pygmaea and Imbrasia forda. Cape Porcupines are particularly fond of the bark; by stripping it they expose trees to fire damage and reduce the proportion of individuals that reach reproductive maturity, making porcupine pressure a meaningful demographic factor in savanna tree populations.
Cultural Uses
The bark of Burkea africana is rich in tannins and alkaloids and has long been used for tanning leather across its range. Pulverised bark is also a traditional fishing aid — cast into water, it temporarily paralyses fish, making them easy to collect. The dense, durable heartwood has been used for parquet flooring and fine cabinet and furniture making.
