Pterocarpus is a genus of trees in the family Fabaceae. Globally they are found across the tropics. Most of them yield valuable timber traded as padauk (or padouk); other common names are mukwa or narra. The wood is marketed as amboyna when it has grown in the burl form. The scientific name is Latinized Ancient Greek and means “wing fruit”, referring to the unusual shape of the seed pods in this genus.

Pterocarpus lucens is a South African indigenous shrub or small tree of up to 7 meters tall. Commonly known as Small-leaved kiaat it has pale grey flaking bark and compound leaves. During summer it bears sprays of pale yellow sweetly scented pea flowers. It produces very hard pale yellow wood. The fresh leaves are used for sauces and as a vegetable. It is also a good fodder plant for camels and goats with a feed value similar to P. erinaceus. It is a suitable source of firewood. The wood is light yellow, hard and does not split. It is used to make wheel rims, tool handles, pestles, beams, rafters, houses, low-quality furniture and poles. As a medicine the bark extracts are used for the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, while the leaves are used for abdominal problems.