Petchia erythrocarpa
(Vatke) Leeuwenb.
Apocynaceae
Alyxia erythrocarpa Vatke
Alyxia lucida Baker
Cabucala caudata Markgr.
Cabucala erythrocarpa (Vatke) Markgr.
Cabucala madagascariensis angustifolia Pichon
Cabucala madagascariensis intermedia Pichon
Cabucala madagascariensis latifolia Pichon
Cabucala monarthron Pichon
Cabucala oblongo-ovata Markgr.
Cabucala striolata Pichon
Ellertonia madagascariensis Radlk.
Ellertonia sessilis K.Schum.
Gynopogon erythrocarpus (Vatke) K.Schum.
Common Name:
Plant growing in the Jardin Botanique de Lyon, Parc de la Tête d'Or, Lyon, France
Photograph by: Daderot
Public domain
General Information
Petchia erythrocarpa is usually an evergreen shrub growing from 2 - 5 metres tall, or rarely becoming more tree-like and up to 10 metres tall[
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
Range
Africa - Madagascar, the Comoros.
Habitat
Seasonal forests, dry forests, gallery forest, savannah and also occasionally in rainforests[
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
]. In some areas the plant is found in soils that are inundated during the rainy season[
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 3.50 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
The bark is used as a bitter ingredient of alcoholic beverages traditionally drunk during circumcision ceremonies as a symbol for virility, and considered strongly aphrodisiac[
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.
].
Fruit[
455- Title
- Flore de Madagascar et des Comores
- Publication
-
- Author
- Humbert H.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle; Paris
- Year
- 1946 - 1984
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, an excellent flora of the area though it has not been completed. Available for download from the Internet.
].
Medicinal
A bark decoction is drunk to cure viral hepatitis, malaria, stomach-ache and diarrhoea[
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.
]. An alcoholic beverage made with the bark is considered strongly aphrodisiac[
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 crushed leaves are applied to skin infections, and a decoction is taken to treat hypertension and stomach-ache.
The root, bark stem bark and leaves contain the alkaloids reserpine, cabucine, cabucinine, akuammine and vincorine (cabuamine)[
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.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
