 It is used for fuel wood, for medicinal purposes, as a woodworking material, and is useful as a nitrogen-fixing plant to improve nutrient-depleted farming land.It has several common names, including kosso, barwood, African kino tree, muninga, and vène; mukwa is used for this species as well as other "Pterocarpus".Groves of the tree can be found on the savannahs of West Africa, but it is becoming increasingly rare and is sometimes cultivated.