Millettia stuhlmannii aka Panga Panga

Millettia stuhlmannii is a deciduous tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Its common names include panga-panga and partridge wood. It grows wild in southern Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa. It lives in tropical regions with a dry season. It grows in deciduous woodland and moist forests beside rivers. In some places, it forms much of the woodland.

Garden references give a height of about 49 feet [15 metres]. They list a spread of about 39 feet [12 metres]. Broader accounts give heights of 20–82 feet [6–25 metres]. Some trees reach 115 feet [35 metres]. The crown spreads above a round trunk, which may bend. The trunk can reach nearly 4 feet [1.2 metres] across. Large green compound leaves have seven to nine paired leaflets. The tree sheds its leaves, and insects pollinate its flowers.

Grow this tree in full sun, with moist, well-drained soil. It accepts sandy, loamy, and clay soils. It also tolerates mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline ground. Its listed USDA hardiness range is zones 10–12. Growth is moderate. The tree grows back well after coppicing. Bacteria in its root nodules fix nitrogen from the air. This supplies the tree and may help nearby plants. Root suckers can form, providing another means of spread. Stem cuttings planted when the rains begin have fair survival.

People plant poles during the rainy season to make living fences. The heavy, durable wood serves for floors, furniture, and heavy building work. Dark brown heartwood has pale bands that create its patterned grain. Pale yellow sapwood forms a clear border around it. The heartwood also supplies a substance used to make dye. It resists fungi, dry-wood borers, and termites. The sapwood, however, can suffer attack by powder-post beetles. Wild trees supply a major export timber in Mozambique. Reports warn that heavy logging could soon deplete many stands.

No edible uses are recorded in the supplied sources. People use a root decoction for stomach pain. This traditional use does not establish its safety or effectiveness. Sawdust can cause skin rash, asthma, and irritation. It can affect the eyes, nose, and throat. These risks matter when cutting or working the wood.