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Useful Tropical Plants

Combretum mossambicense

(Klotzsch) Engl.

Combretaceae

+ Synonyms

Combretum cataractarum Diels

Combretum detinens Dinter

Combretum floribundum N.E.Br. ex Diels

Combretum ischnothyrsum Engl. & Diels

Combretum migeodii Exell

Combretum phillipsii Dümmer

Combretum quangense Engl. & Diels

Combretum rigidifolium Welw. ex Hiern

Combretum trichopetalum Engl.

Combretum ukambense Engl.

Poivrea glutinosa Klotzsch

Poivrea senensis Klotzsch

Common Name:

Combretum mossambicense
Flowering branches
Photograph by: Hans Hillewaert
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Combretum mossambicense Combretum mossambicense Combretum mossambicense Combretum mossambicense

General Information

Combretum mossambicense is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing up to 4 metres tall and 3 metres wide. It usually adopts a more or less climbing habit, scrambling into the surrounding vegetation.
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. A very ornamental plant, producing masses of lovely, fluffy, fragrant, pink-white flowers that resemble small powder puffs. They are displayed on the bare branches in early spring[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.

Range

Tropical Africa - Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, southern DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, northern S. Africa.

Habitat

Low-lying bushveld and thicket in hot, dry areas, on hills (koppies) and often near rivers[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitDeciduous Climber
Height4.00 m
Growth RateMedium
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Found mainly in the drier areas of the tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,675 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
]. Plants can tolerate at lease some frost[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
]. They can tolerate temperatures ranging from about -4°c up to 40°c, perhaps even higher[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
Grows best in a sunny position[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
]. Prefers a fertile, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
]. Established plants are fairly drought resistant[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
A moderately fast-growing plant[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].
Plants can be pruned back heavily into the old wood if required[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots and leaves, combined with the roots and leaves of Acalypha villicaulis, are crushed and boiled in plenty of water - the extract produced is used to steam the face to reduce swelling caused by a tooth abscess, or for eye inflammations. Hot compresses are also made from the dregs[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
]. The extract is also used for gargling or eye baths, or it is tossed onto red-hot coals and the steam is used to ease swollen body parts[
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 liquid can also be rubbed into small scratches over the affected areas[
295
Title
PlantZAfrica.com
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.plantzafrica.com
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
The seed of most, if not all, species can be stored inside the fruit for several years without losing viability[
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.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Combretum+mossambicense>

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