Common Name:

General Information

Combretum micranthum can vary considerably in form according to its habitat. Often a shrub or small tree growing 2 - 5 metres tall, under favourable conditions it can attain a height of 10 metres. It can also take on a more climbing habit, twining itself around the branches of nearby trees and producing stems that can be 20 metres long[].
The plant is gathered from the wild by local people, mainly for medicinal use and to make a popular local tea[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western Africa - Senegal and Mauritania to Nigeria and Niger.

Habitat

Dry sites in the savannah, on sandstone, clay, laterite, crystalline rocks, and skeletal soils at elevations to 1,000 metres[]. An indicator of poor soils, frequently found on termite nests, even though the roots are susceptible to termite attack[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 35°c, but can tolerate 10 - 45°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -5°c or lower, but new growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,300mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,500mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Succeeds on sandstone, clay, laterite, crystalline rocks, and skeletal soils[]. Grows well on dry soils and is very drought tolerant once established[]. Its presence in natural habitats is often an indicator of poor, low nutrient soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[].
Plants can recover from damage by forest fires[].

Edible Uses

The curative leaves are used to make the 'quinquelibas drink', a refreshing tea traded as kinkéliba[]. It is said that drinking the tea helps a person become accustomed to the local climate[](as C. alatum).

The seeds are edible[]

Medicinal

The leaves, roots and barks have many medicinal usages and are said to be antidiarrhoeal, antipyretic, choleretic, diuretic and tonic[].
Leaf extracts have been found to exhibit anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties[].
In vitro research has shown that the plant exhibits strong anti-malarial properties[].

The roots are diuretic, vermifuge. They are used in the treatment of infertility, fevers, sores and venereal diseases[].
The roots are used to make an eye rinse[].

The leaves are diuretic and febrifuge[]. A decoction is used to treat black fever, hepatic diseases and various disorders of the respiratory system[, ].

Various parts of the plant are used for the treatment of a range of problems, including wounds, fever, stiffness, bruises, sprains, haematuria, anorexia, colic, blennorrhoea. It is commonly used in Burkina and Cote d'Ivoire by native healers in the treatment of malaria[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is often seen as an indicator of poor, low nutrient soils in the wild[].

Other Uses

The inner bark fibres are used for binding and ropes[, ].

The timber is used like a rattan, for roof frames, for huts and lofts, basket manufacture, furniture and walking sticks[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soaking for 24 hours in water increases the rate of germination. Removing the covering structures from the seed can also improve the level of germination. Germination rates are usually high, up to 100%[].
The seed can be stored long-term. More than 96% germination rate was achieved from dried seeds 4 years old that had been stored at 4°C[].

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