Common Name:

General Information

Pseudophyllanthus ovalis is a rather lax, slender, almost glabrous shrub or small tree, usually growing up to 3 metres tall, but occasionally to 6 metres[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and snake repellent.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - Zimbabwe, Swaziland, S. Africa.

Habitat

Evergreen forest, forest margins, grassy and stony slopes and ravines, at elevations from 650 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants in this species can be either monoecious or dioecious. If dioecious, then both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The burned roots are sniffed to treat headache or are taken as an emetic to treat chest complaints[]. A decoction of the root is given orally to humans and animals as an anthelmintic[].
Snakebites are treated with an emetic prepared from burned roots, or with powdered root bark applied to incisions in the skin[].
An infusion of the root is externally applied as a wash to treat head lice and fleas.[].

Powdered stem bark is reported to be effective against epilepsy[].

A methanol extract of the bark and leaves has shown strong molluscicidal activity against the snail Bulinus africanus, and some antibacterial activity against the bacterial wilt disease Ralstonia solanacearum. This bioactivity has been attributed to anthraquinones and their glycosides, saponins, flavonoids and steroids[].

Other Uses

The roots are inserted in holes to repel snakes[].
The powdered root bark in milk is used to trap flies, which are said to die soon after eating the mixture[].

Propagation

Seed -

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