Common Name:

General Information

Philenoptera laxiflora is a deciduous shrub or tree that is often branched from the base or with a small, branched crown. It can grow 6 - 8 metres tall, exceptionally to 15 metres, with a slender bole that is often crooked and can be up to 20cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use mainly as the source of a dye, but this is a multipurpose tree that also supplies food, medicines, an insecticide and wood. The leaves are sometimes traded for use as a dye. With its delicately scented blue or pinkish flowers, crowded in panicles all over the crown, the tree has potential as an ornamental[].
Despite general threats within its native range, this species is not thought to be specifically threatened or in decline. It is therefore classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - savannah areas from Senegal and Guinea to Ethiopia and Uganda.

Habitat

Savannah woodland on a variety of soils, common in places; sometimes at the edge of fringing forest; at elevations from 180 - 2,150 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	7.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the wild mainly on moist, well-drained soils[].
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

The bark is used as a condiment in a mixture with other items[].

Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Flowers[].

Fresh young fruits[]. The fruit is also eaten cooked with potherbs and sesame paste[]. After boiling, the fruits can be dried and stored for later use[].

Medicinal

The roots and bark are used as a tonic and to treat jaundice[].
The root is used externally as a treatment against stomach-ache[].

A decoction of the young leaves is used in the treatment of liver troubles[]
The leaves are applied as a poultice on ulcers[].
The leaves and bark are used externally as an anti-parasitic for treating scabies and ringworm[].

Other Uses

The leaves are the source of an indigo dye, used in the same manner as the leaves of Philenoptera cyanescens, and providing the same range of blue colours that can be obtained from that plant and also from Indigofera arrecta[]. The dye has been much used in Gambia to make the famous 'bara siti' cloth in which decorative patterns are made by crumpling and binding parts of the tissue during the dye process[].
The leaves are bruised to a pulp and made up into balls 10 - 12cm in diameter. These balls are dried in the sun and can be sold in local markets. To dye cloth into various shades of blue, the dye-vat is prepared by soaking the crushed balls in hot water, the number depending on the desired intensity of the blue colour. The necessary alkalinity is obtained by adding lye from wood-ash. The solution is then left to ferment for 6 - 8 days usually, and the dye bath is then ready for the cloth to be steeped into it[]. Young leaves of Morinda lucida are mixed with the leaves of this species to give a greenish dye that is used to dye mats[].

The leaves and bark are used as an insecticide[].

The pale yellow wood is hard and heavy. It is used for pole timber[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed -

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