Common Name:

General Information

Clitandra cymulosa is a large, very vigorous, climbing shrub that can grow into the forest canopy with stems sometimes up to 100 metres long and up to 35cm in diameter at the base[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its fruit, which is a very popular local fruit and often sold in local markets. The plant also yields a useful latex.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western tropical Africa - Guinea to Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo and Uganda, south to Angola and Tanzania.

Habitat

Forest and forest margins of the dry zone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moister tropics.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. An acid flavour, it is avidly sought out by local people[].

Medicinal

The latex obtained from the stem is taken internally as a treatment for stomach aches[]. It is believed to work by coagulating in the stomach, enforlding the offending material in there, and carrying it out of the body with the faeces, but has been known to occasionally cause occlusion of the intestines and death[].

Other Uses

The plant contains an abundant, watery and somewhat sticky latex[]. Generally valueless, but some plants yield a good, black rubber, known as 'Noire du Congo'[, ]. It can be coagulated by adding water and then boiling it, stirring constantly until the coagulum sticks to the sirring paddle[]. The sap of Costus lukasiana is used to coagulate it[]. The newly formed coagulum is white, but becomes brown in time and acquires elasticity[]. The plant has been exploited in various regions of Africa for this rubber and in some areas it is the main source of rubber from climbing plants[].

Propagation

Seed -

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