Clappertonia ficifolia
(Willd.) Decne.
Malvaceae
Honkenya ficifolia Willd.
Common Name: Bolo Bolo
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Malcolm Manners
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
General Information
Clappertonia ficifolia is an erect, multi-branched shrub growing from 0.8 - 3 metres tall[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild, and also sometimes cultivated, for its fibre, which is used locally[
]. A very showy plant with beautiful purple flowers, it is well worthy of cultivation[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
Range
Tropical Africa - Senegal to Sudan, south to Angola and Mozambique.
Habitat
Swampy grassland, marshy places, stream-banks, valleys, fallow rice fields; forest fringes, thickets on margins of damp depressions; at elevations of 1,100 - 1,200 metres[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Properties
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Height | 2.50 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The stems are a source of a valuable fibre that resembles jute (Corchorus spp.)[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. Used for sacks[
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
