A variable species that has in the past been treated as a number of distinct species[].

Common Name:

General Information

Dombeya burgessiae is a multi-stemmed shrub or sometimes a small tree that branches from low down, growing from 2 - 8 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is widely used as friction sticks to make fire. The plant is also sometimes grown as an ornamental[].
Dombeya burgessiae has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Tropical Africa - Kenya south to Angola and S. Africa.

Habitat

Forest edges; open forest; early stages of forest regrowth; semi-evergreen bushland on rocky sites; riverine vegetation at elevations of 750 - 2,400 metres[]. Forest-margins or in woodland with above average humidity, and some degree of shade[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

In cultivation, species in this genus generally grow best in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil and a position in full sun or partial shade[].
The species shows some resistance to fire[].

Edible Uses

In Malawi and Mozambique the pith is boiled and eaten as a side dish[].
The pith is cooked, with the addition of potashes, to form a side-dish, to which pounded groundnuts are added[].

Medicinal

In traditional medicine in Kenya the bark is boiled and the decoction drunk or the bark is chewed as an aphrodisiac[].

An infusion of the roots is taken to cure stomach pain[].

In Tanzania a decoction of the leaves is drunk and the pulped leaves are applied to leprosy sores[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Like other species of the genus, Dombeya burgessiae is valuable as bee forage and the honey produced is exceptionally good with fine crystallization[]

Other Uses

The bark fibre of Dombeya burgessiae is widely used for binding and for making rope. In Kenya the fibre is traditionally used for making baskets and the famous ‘kiondo’ bags[, , ].

The wood is widely used for making fire by friction[, ].

The heartwood is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood. The wood is uniformly pale brown, often with a central core of dark brown wood with olive streaks. The grain is usually straight, texture fine to medium. The density of the wood is about 560 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content. The wood is liable to checking in seasoning. It is strong and tough. The wood saws and planes well and nails without splitting, but it is not suitable for turnery. The durability of the wood is low to moderate. The sapwood is susceptible to attack by termites, marine borers and Lyctus borers. The sapwood and heartwood are moderately resistant to impregnation. In Kenya the wood is used for construction and for making bows. In Mozambique the wood is used for bows, tool handles[]
The wood is used for firewood[].

Propagation

Seed can be extracted from dry flower heads. Its viability declines within 3 months, so fresh seed has to be used for sowing. Seed is to be sown in properly drained seedbeds. Seedlings emerge in about 3 weeks. For the ornamental trade, plants are multiplied by cuttings or air-layers.[]
Cuttings of half-ripe wood[].

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