As understood here, this species is confined to Africa but bears very close affinity to the Asian species Crateva religiosa, with which it has been equated by some authorities[].

Common Name:

General Information

Crateva adansonii is a deciduous tree developing a rounded crown as it grows older; it usually grows from 3 - 10 metres tall, but with occasional specimens to 16 metres. The bole is irregular and seldom straight[, , ]. Because of fire damage, and the repeated stripping of its leaves, the tree is often found as a stunted specimen in the wild[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. A small, handsome tree, it is worthy of cultivation as an ornamental for its dense masses of white flowers borne at the ends of all the shoots[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Mauritania to Ethiopia, south to Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

Habitat

Galleried forests, savannah woodland and old termite mounds, often on river-banks in east Africa[, ]. Riverine or swamp forest, forest edges in southern Africa[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant can tolerate occasional short-lived light frosts.
Succeeds in full sun or in partial shade. Requires a moist soil[]. Prefers a deep, sandy to loamy soil[]. Tolerant of seasonal inundation of the soil[].
The leaves have a disagreeable smell when crushed[].
The plant can survive bush fires, resprouting from the old wood[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[, ]. They can be used as a pot herb, eaten in soups, mixed with cereals or used as an ingredient in sauces[]. They are, however, eaten in soups or mixed with cereals. They are boiled and added to a mixture, called 'kwado', containing a paste of locust beans, Parkia spp., with salt, pepper, etc[]. The leaves have a disagreeable smell when crushed. In some areas the leaves are only used in time of dearth[].

The fruit contains a white mealy pulp and is occasionally eaten with the seed, usually roasted[, ]. The globose fruit is 4 - 5cm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The leaves are applied to the head as a mild counter-irritant for easing headaches[, ]. A steam bath of the leaves over the face is used as a remedy for all troubles due to poor vision[]. The leaves are used in fumigations for treating jaundice and yellow fever, a treatment that is based, perhaps, on the Theory of Signatures due to the yellow colour of the wood[].

The bark is said to be rubefacient and tonic. It is widely used as a remedy for stomach-troubles[]. The bark removed from the base of the trunk has been used both internally and externally for treating sterility[]. It is used in combination with Flacourtia flavescens as a treatment for leprosy[]. It is used as a counter-irritant for treating headaches. Powdered and boiled in oil, it is used as an application for rheumatic condition[]. A bark paste is used as a poultice on swellings[].

The powdered leaves and bark are considered to be rubefacient and are used especially on cysts[].

The root is used as a febrifuge, being boiled with natron and eaten with guinea-corn pap[]. It is used in several treatments for syphilis[].
The dried, ground roots are used as an application to swollen parts of the body[, ].

The seeds have unspecified medicinal uses[].

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the branches and leaves[].

The tree contains a gum[].

The wood is soft and yellow and strong-smelling when cut. It is of no practical use though it is reported in Togo to be usable like boxwood - presumably for small items of joinery[]. The wood is occasionally used for items such as saddles, cart wheels and frames[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed. It is reported that the seed will not germinate in competition with grasses or shrubs. They must lie on bare moist soil and, for survival, must not be shaded[].

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