Common Name:

General Information

Hunteria umbellata is a shrub or small tree with a dense crown; it can grow up to 10 - 15 metres tall with exceptional specimens to 22 metres[, ]. The bole, which is fluted and can be sinuous or straight, is 40 - 55cm in diameter[, ]. The plant has a colourless or milky latex in all of its parts[].
The tree is valued locally for its timber and also has a range of medicinal uses. The bark is sometimes exported, mainly to Germany, for medicinal use[].

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant are poisonous[]. The fruits are toxic and are used for criminal purposes - it is rich in latex that is an ingredient of arrow poison[].

Botanical References

Range

West Tropical Africa - Senegal to Gabon, Central African Republic and Zaire.

Habitat

An understorey tree of closed forests[]. Rain forest and gallery forest, also in secondary forest, at elevations up to 600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The pulp is eaten[]. Another report says that the fruit is poisonous[].

Medicinal

Although all parts of the plant are toxic and fatalities have been recorded, the roots and bark are often used in traditional medicine in Africa[]. A number of alkaloids have been detected in the plant[]. Extracts of the plant are used in Germany for phytotherapeutic purposes, to reduce the heart rate, as an aphrodisiac, to decrease blood pressure and reduce blood lipid content[].
Some 20 indole alkaloids have been isolated, most occurring in the stem bark and root bark[].
The alkaloids eburnamonine, eburnamine and hunterine show cardio-vascular properties, some symphathomimetic properties and a strong and lasting hypotensive action[].
Eburnamonine has the same pharmacological effect as strychnine and is useful as a cerebrovascular agent. This alkaloid is abundantly present in the seeds and is a stimulant of the central nervous system, and seems to have a positive effect on the general blood circulation[].
Vincamine exhibits significant activity as an anti-hypertensive and sedative agent[].
Research supports the traditional use of seed extracts in Nigeria for the treatment of diabetes, as it increases the activity of glucokinase and lowers blood glucose levels[].
Aqueous and methanolic extracts of the leaves, seeds and stem bark have shown significant anthelmintic activity against earthworms. The methanolic extract of the stem bark has the highest activity[].
Tests with leaf extracts have shown molluscicidal action on the freshwater snail Bulinus globulus[].

The bark and the root are made into a bitter tonic and used as a stomachic[, ]. The powdered root and root-decoction are used to prevent miscarriage and in the treatment of menorrhoea[, ]. The root and stem bark are used as an anthelmintic, especially against guinea worm, filaria worms and schistosomiases (causing bilharzia)[].
Externally, the bark is used as a lotion to treat fevers and the fresh root-bark extract is applied to sores caused by leprosy[].

Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the seeds are used as a cure for piles, yaws, diabetes and stomach ulcers[].

A bark or fruit decoction is taken to treat stomach-ache, liver problems and hernia[].

The plant is also used in the treatment of geriatric problems[].

Other Uses

The yellow wood is very hard; fine-grained; and is said to be termite-proof and durable[, ]. It is considered one of the best local woods for tool-handles and is also used to make combs, spoons, police batons, carpenter planes, weaving shuttles and other small articles.[, , ]. Forked stems are used as hut-posts[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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