Acacia xanthopholoea: Tree species believed to be associated with malaria diseases!

Acacia xanthopoloea tree species found in mant parts of Zimbabwe and Mozambique was believed to be the habour of malarial pathogens by the European explorer pioneers who visited these two countries during their risk adventures. Even the local people also came to accept such a belief. This became a myths for many centuries until one braved nough to prove it wrong.
This was similar to what a great philosopher Alistotle said , a spider has six legs,no one bothered to verify is for over 2000 years until Lamark proved that a spider has eight legs.
This is the same with the fever tree ,its botanical name is Acacia xanthopholoea and the Chishona name is Chinanga or Mutataunga.
The fever tree's name derivation is that the European who visited some places in Zimbabwe and Mozambique where this tree species are densely populated oftenly they got sick of malaria.However there were so many places where this tree species found such places like Harare,Mutare,Bindura ,concession where there is no outbreak of malaria diseases.
In fact it takes the proof of medical doctors to acknowledge that only anopheles (female)mosquito is the only insect which carry malarial pathogens and spread them to human beings by spitting its saliva before suckling blood.
The fever tree is a medium to tall which is well shaped with height ranges from 10 to 15 metres.Other species can have upto 25 metres in height.
This species usually favour swampy areas where usually mosquitoes breed and this is the major reason why these explorer concluded in their minds that this tree is a fever tree.
Barks are smooth slightly flaking,greenish-yellow to yellow.The collectors described these barks as evil,pallid ,leprous ,stickly and sinister.Stipules spinescent ,the spines white ,straight upto 7 cm in length.This stipules ,spines is the name derivation of the Shona people "CHINANGA OR CHITATAUNGA" because when pass through these bushes you will obviously hooked and bitten severely.
Leaves are with 4 to 7 pairs of yellow balls and are usually fully developed in September to November .
Fruits are small pods which are up to 13x1,4 cm,pale brown,straight ,thin and rather papery with seeds oftenly break starting in January.
The wood is hard ,heavy and is used by local people in building purposes as well as fuelwood.
The tree produce a smell when it is still fresh ,the flowers are best used by bees to make honey .The honey is discovered to be on heart problems as it contain medicines of different functions .
whilst the stipules small branches used some time back as reliable fence known as 'ruzhowa',and others are still using it as fencing their homes or gardens to protect animals from disturbing their orchards and other crops.
These tree species are found in many places of Zimbabwe , densely scattered south east of Zimbabwe in thick woodlands in Mozambique areas and other parts in Southern Africa.