The African Plant Database[] lists four species from DR Congo as synonyms of this species, viz:- Craterispermum angustifolium De Wild. & T.Durand; Craterispermum congolanum De Wild. & T.Durand; Craterispermum goossensii De Wild.; and Craterispermum reticulatum De Wild. However, the Kew 'World Checklist of Selected Plant families recognizes all for of these as distinct species. We are following the treatment of Kew at present, but it is likely that, even if they remain distinct species, all four of them will have the same uses as this species.

Common Name:

General Information

Craterispermum schweinfurthii is an evergreen shrub or tree growing up to 15 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of dyes and wood. It is also sometimes grown as a hedge.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Nigeria to Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Habitat

Evergreen fringing forest along water; swamp forest; drier evergreen forest; and thickets; at elevations from sea-level up to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is often used to treat a range of conditions in traditional medicine[].

The bark is chewed to cure coughs and whooping cough[]. A decoction of the bark is drunk in cases of stomach affections, fever and diarrhoea[].
A decoction of the bark is used in vapour baths as a remedy for rheumatism, oedema and the pain of stings[]. The powdered bark is applied as a dressing on sores and wounds[].

The roots, bark and fruits are chewed, and the juice drunk, as a treatment against venereal diseases and as an aphrodisiac[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is valued as a live fence because of its resistance to fire and ease of cultivation[].
The fragrant flowers are a good bee forage[].

Other Uses

The bark and leaves are a source of yellow and brown dyes used for dyeing cotton cloth[].
No research on the dye or tannin content of this species appears to have been published, but the closely related Craterispermum laurinum has been shown to be a strong aluminium accumulator. Such plants are used as mordants instead of alums in traditional dyeing techniques in different parts of the world and they often also contain colorants[].

The dead wood, when kept in moist conditions, becomes red and is then used in the preparation of a red ointment (known as 'nkula', and also prepared from other sources), which is used to colour the face in traditional ceremonies[].

The twigs are used as toothpicks, toothbrushes and chewing sticks to clean the teeth and maintain oral hygiene[].

The hard and tough wood is used for building poles, tool handles, sticks etc[, ].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings root easily[].

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