Cordia monoica
Roxb.
Boraginaceae
Cordia bakeri Britten
Cordia bequaertii De Wild.
Cordia dioica A.DC.
Cordia diversa Thwaites
Cordia kabarensis De Wild.
Cordia leucocoma Miq.
Cordia obovata Baker
Cordia ovalis R.Br. ex A.DC.
Cordia polygama Roxb.
Cordia quarensis Gürke
Cordia rubra Hochst. ex A.Rich.
Cordia subpubescens Decne.
Cordia timorensis Span.
Cordia trichostemon A.DC.
Gerascanthus bakeri (Britten) Borhidi
Gerascanthus dioicus (Bojer ex A.DC.) Borhidi
Gerascanthus monoicus (Roxb.) Borhidi
Gerascanthus subpubescens (Decne.) Borhidi
Gerascanthus trichostemon (DC.) Borhidi
Lithocardium leucocomum Kuntze
Lithocardium monoicum Kuntze
Lithocardium ovale (R.Br. ex A.DC.) Kuntze
Lithocardium subpubescens (Decne.) Kuntze
Lithocardium trichostemon (A.DC.) Kuntze
Common Name:
General Information
Cordia monoica is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub or small tree, usually growing up to 6 metres tall but occasionally reaching 12 metres[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, medicine and wood. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Cordia monoica has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
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
Eastern and southern Africa - Ethiopia to Somalia south to southern Africa; Asia - Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar.
Habitat
Found in a variety of habitats from wet or riverine forest to woodland and bush with Acacia-Euphorbia or grassland, at elevations from sea level to 1,800 metres[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 5.00 m |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Pollinators | Bees |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A slow to moderate growing tree[
396- Title
- Useful Trees and Shrubs in Eritrea
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bein. E.; Habte. B.; Jaber. A.; Birnie. A. & Tengnas. B.
- Publisher
- Regional Soil Conservation Unit: Nairobi
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9966-896-24-4
- Description
- A very well written and concise guide to almost 200 species. It gives a brief description of each plant together with its habitat, uses, propagation and cultivation. Line drawings of each plant are also included It can be downloaded from the internet
].
Trees can be coppiced and pollarded[
396- Title
- Useful Trees and Shrubs in Eritrea
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bein. E.; Habte. B.; Jaber. A.; Birnie. A. & Tengnas. B.
- Publisher
- Regional Soil Conservation Unit: Nairobi
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9966-896-24-4
- Description
- A very well written and concise guide to almost 200 species. It gives a brief description of each plant together with its habitat, uses, propagation and cultivation. Line drawings of each plant are also included It can be downloaded from the internet
].
The tree is usually hermaphrodite, though some specimens can be dioecious[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. A jelly-like pulp with a sweet flavour, they are eaten as a snack[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. The yellow-orange, oval fruit is about 2cm long, containing a single seed[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Medicinal
The leaves are used in the treatment of chest pain.
The leaves are used to treat eye diseases[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
,
1905- Title
- Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the medicinal species of the genus Cordia (Boraginaceae)
- Publication
- Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 69 (2017), pp. 755-789
- Author
- Oza M.J. & Kulkarni Y.A.
- Website
- http://10.1111/jphp.12715
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2017
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The leaves and stem bark are used in a steam bath to treat leprosy, whilst the body is also washed with a decoction made from the pounded bark[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
,
1905- Title
- Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the medicinal species of the genus Cordia (Boraginaceae)
- Publication
- Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 69 (2017), pp. 755-789
- Author
- Oza M.J. & Kulkarni Y.A.
- Website
- http://10.1111/jphp.12715
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2017
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The roots are used tin the treatment of vomiting and malaria[
1905- Title
- Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the medicinal species of the genus Cordia (Boraginaceae)
- Publication
- Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 69 (2017), pp. 755-789
- Author
- Oza M.J. & Kulkarni Y.A.
- Website
- http://10.1111/jphp.12715
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2017
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
.
Other Uses
The leaves are very rough and are used as a sandpaper[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The wood is tough and used for building poles, bows, withies, walking sticks, clubs and pestles[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The wood is used for fuel[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Propagation
Seed - slow to germinate, soaking the seed for 6 hours prior to sowing can improve germination rates[
396- Title
- Useful Trees and Shrubs in Eritrea
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bein. E.; Habte. B.; Jaber. A.; Birnie. A. & Tengnas. B.
- Publisher
- Regional Soil Conservation Unit: Nairobi
- Year
- 1996
- ISBN
- 9966-896-24-4
- Description
- A very well written and concise guide to almost 200 species. It gives a brief description of each plant together with its habitat, uses, propagation and cultivation. Line drawings of each plant are also included It can be downloaded from the internet
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
