Common Name:

General Information

Chasmanthera welwitschii is a climbing shrub producing stems up to 30 metres long.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of fibre.

Known Hazards

A fishing poison is prepared from the leaves, combined with the leaves of Tephrosia vogelii[].
The roots are used as an ordeal-poison, judgement resting on whether the roots caused constipation or diarrhoea, indicating innocence or guilt, respectively[].

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, western DR Congo, Angola.

Habitat

Rainforests[]. Dense evergreen and semi-deciduous humid forest, in gallery forest, humid secondary forest and bush fallow at low to medium elevations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	25.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruits and roots are eaten by the Turumbu people in DR Congo[].

The roots are used in the preparation of palm wine to give it extra strength[].

Medicinal

Bark preparations are taken as a tonic against bodily and nervous exhaustion[].

Leaf sap mixed with shea butter is rubbed on the body against pain and stiffness of limbs[].
A wet dressing made from the leaves is applied to furuncles and abscesses[].

Other Uses

The stem is fibrous. It is used as a rope in house construction, and also to make fishing nets and frames[].

Propagation

Seed -

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