Umuko/Umurinzi (Red Hot Poker Tree)
Erythrina abyssinica
A striking, corky-barked tree common across Rwanda, notable for its bright red-orange flower spikes that bloom before the leaves emerge. Beyond its ornamental and cultural significance — historically tied to the Ryangombe (Kubandwa) ceremonial tradition — its bark is used in traditional medicine for liver ailments, and its light corky bark has even been used as a fishing float.
- Kinyarwanda name
- Umuko/Umurinzi
- English name
- Red Hot Poker Tree
- Scientific name
- Erythrina abyssinica
- Family
- Fabaceae
Habitat
Savanna woodland, wooded grassland and disturbed/regrowth land; often planted around homesteads.
Distribution
Widespread across savanna and woodland zones of eastern, central and southern Africa, common throughout Rwanda.
Uses
Socio-cultural use in Ryangombe religious ceremonies; stem bark treats liver complaints; the corky bark is used in fishing as a float.
Ecological importance
Flowers are an important nectar source for sunbirds and other pollinators; as a nitrogen-fixing legume it also helps enrich degraded soils.
Ibisobanuro
Kubandwa Ryangombe. Gufumbira ubutaka. Ubuvuzi: indwara z'umwijima, inzoka zo munda, ibinyoro, ibisebe, umwijima na malariya. Indeberezi mu burobyi.