Common Name:

General Information

Chamaecrista zambesica is a prostrate or semi-prostrate, herbaceous, usually perennial plant with stems 3 - 60cm long from a thick, woody rootstock[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Somalia, Kenya, eastern DR Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Grassland and abandoned cultivation, at elevations from sea level to 950 metres[]. Grassland; wooded grassland; bushland; degraded evergreen forest; savannah; rocky hilltops; (abandoned) cultivated land; to 2,350 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves and roots are used as a cathartic against the intestinal protozoal parasite Giardia lamblia[]. Laboratory tests confirmed the lethal effect on the parasite[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.

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