This weird looking tree is known as the Pterocarpus angolensis and is native to southern Africa. The locals refer to this magical tree as the Kiaat, Mukwa, and Muninga. Another more commonly known name is the bloodwood tree due to its dark red colored sap that oozes from any part of the tree that has been damaged. When a limb is cut or a trunk is chopped the tree immediately starts to “bleed” this red sap to seal the wound and speed up the healing process. It almost resembles the severed limb of an animal. The bloodwood tree is a deciduous tree with a high canopy, reaching about 15m in height and has dark bark. The red sap is used traditionally as a dye and in some areas mixed with animal fat to make a cosmetic for faces and bodies. It is also believed to have magical properties for the curing of problems concerning blood, apparently because of its close resemblance to blood. The name bloodwood for these trees stems from the dark red to brown sap that accumulates on wounds on the trunks.