Common Name:

General Information

Pleiocarpa mutica is an evergreen shrub or a tree, occasionally adopting a more climbing habit. It usually grows up to 7.5 metres tall, but up to 9 metres when climbing. The slender stem is only 1.5 - 5cm in diameter[].
Pleiocarpa mutica is locally well appreciated as a medicinal plant and is commonly harvested from the wild. Products made from it are a valuable commodity at local markets[]. The plant has clusters of white, sweet-scented, tubular flowers which make it ornamental and worthy of cultivation[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Central African Republic, south to Gabon and Congo.

Habitat

Dense primary or secondary forest in swampy areas or along river banks, on sandy soil or limestone outcrops, up to 600 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pleiocarpa mutica can be found flowering and fruiting throughout the year[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The ground bark, mixed with palm wine, is taken as a laxative[]. It is rubbed on the body as a treatment against fever[]. A decoction of the grated bark is drunk to treat stomach pains and oedema of the legs[].
A decoction of the root bark is used against kidney diseases and malaria[].

The roots are taken in decoction as a febrifuge, antimalarial and to treat jaundice and convulsions[].

A number of indole alkaloids have been isolated from the roots and bark.
The roots contain pleiocarpine (pleiocine), kopsinine, pleiocarpamine, eburnamine (desacetylpicraline) and the dimeric pleiomutinine. These 5 alkaloids were tested against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro but only pleiomutinine was found to have significant activity, although at a lower level than the standard drug chloroquine diphosphate[].
Pleiocarpine was inactive against malaria parasites, but moderately active against Plasmodium berghei[]
Kopsinine has hepatoprotective activity[].
Eburnamine shows some sympathomimetic properties and a strong and lasting hypotensive action[].
Other alkaloids isolated from the bark are eburnamonine and the dimeric pleiocarpinine (pleiocinine) and pleiomutine[].
Eburnamonine has the same pharmacological effect as strychnine and is useful as a cerebrovascular agent. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, and seems to havea positive effect on the general blood circulation[].

Other Uses

The yellow wood is hard, heavy, close-grained and tough. It is used to make combs, canoe paddles, pestles, weaving shuttles, plane-blocks, hooks for hunting nets and various other small objects[].

Propagation

Seed -

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