Common Name:

General Information

Connarus africanus is a shrub that often climbs into other plants or scrambles along the ground[]. The stems can grow to 7 metres tall or more[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use[]. An ornamental plant, often climbing, and is sometimes grown from stakes to make a hedge[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western tropical Africa - Senegal to southern Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon.

Habitat

Evergreen wet forest[]. Rain forest and riverine forest, and sometimes in thickets in savannah[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland humid tropics.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark contains some resinous matter giving it tonic and astringent properties[].
The root-bark is used in some areas as a taenicide[].
A hot decoction of bark is used as a wash for treating ulcers[]. Used as an astringent for bleeding wounds, the bark is applied finely powdered or mixed with palm-oil (Afzelius fide)[].

The leaf-sap is irritant to mucosae, and is used in a nasal instillation together with the bark-sap of Chrysophyllum perpulchrum in cases of fainting[, ].
The leaf-sap is considered aphrodisiac when combined with salt and pimento[].

The seeds, after removal of the aril and sun-drying, are ground up and taken as a purge and vermifuge which is said to be particularly effective against tapeworm[]. The preparation is normally taken with boiled rice, or as a decoction or infusion[]. Sixty gm of the powder is said to act with certainty[]. There is colouring matter in the bark and seeds but only a fatty substance and some tannin have been recorded. The taenicidal action may be due to the latter[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is ornamental, often climbing, and can be grown from stakes to make a hedge[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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