Common Name:

General Information

Alchornea laxiflora is a deciduous, erect or straggling shrub or small tree that usually grows up to 7 metres tall, exceptionally to 10 metres[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and packing material.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Guinea to Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, south to Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Habitat

Evergreen forest and associated bushland, in riverine thickets, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,600 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is taken to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases. It is also a common ingredient in herbal antimalarial preparations[]. The ground leaves are taken in water to treat hernia[].

The leaf sap and root decoction are drunk to treat pain in the neck and shoulders[].

The ash of the stem pith is applied to a stiff neck[].

Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, saponins and phenolic compounds in the roots, and in lower amounts, in the leaves[].
From the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the crude methanolic leaf extract the flavonoids quercetin and the quercetin-related compounds rutin and quercitrin were isolated. These compounds showed significant antimicrobial activity against several gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi[].
In trials for antioxidant activity, crude hexane and methanol extracts of the root showed 65 - 75% activity, with around 40% activity for the leaves, in comparison with the standard anti-oxidant drug, butylated hydroxyanisole[].

Other Uses

The leaves are used as packing and preservation material for kola nuts (Cola spp.)[].

Small branches are used as chew sticks for maintaining healthy gums and teeth[].

Straight stems are used as fence poles[].

Propagation

Seed -

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