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Useful Tropical Plants

Acalypha psilostachya

Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Euphorbiaceae

+ Synonyms

Acalypha bequaertii Staner

Acalypha johnstonii Pax

Ricinocarpus psilostachyus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Kuntze

Common Name:

Acalypha psilostachya
Flowering branches
Photograph by: Gunter Baümann; African plants - A Photo Guide
© Gunter Baümann

General Information

Acalypha psilostachya is an erect, perennial plant with stems that are more or less woody. It can grow up to 3 metres tall[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

East tropical Africa - Sudan and Ethiopia, south to Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

Habitat

Moist, submontane forest undergrowth, in valleys, also in submontane grassland and swamp forest, persisting in disturbed localities, at elevations from 500 - 3,000 metres[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height2.50 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A leaf decoction is taken to treat headache, to expel a retained placenta and as a tonic for pregnant women. The leaf sap is taken to stop bleeding during pregnancy and to treat amenorrhoea[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. An infusion of the leafy twigs is drunk and the steam is inhaled to treat dizziness[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
A leaf decoction is drunk, or the ash of leafy twigs is sniffed, to treat a pain in the side[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. A leaf decoction is used as an enema to treat diarrhoea, and the decoction is drunk to treat intestinal parasites[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]
A decoction of leafy twigs is used as an eye bath and the leaf sap is used as eye drops to treat conjunctivitis[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-04-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acalypha+psilostachya>

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