Common Name:

General Information

Dendrolobium umbellatum is a bushy shrub or small tree growing from 1 - 13 metres tall[, ]. The bole is up to 13cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use and for its wood. It is sometimes grown to stabilize sandy soils.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania; through tropical Asia to New Guinea, northern Australia and the western Pacific.

Habitat

Mainly found along rivers and stream banks, on plains and lowlands, and in particular on beach fronts and frontal dunes[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 600 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 34°c, but can tolerate 13 - 40°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 850 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 600 - 1,750mm[].
Succeeds in full sun and in light shade[]. Succeeds in light and medium soils of moderate or low fertility[]. Found in the wild on sandy and rocky soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 8, tolerating 4.5 - 9[]. Established plants are drought tolerant and able to withstand strong winds and coastal salt spray[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable, or used as a seasoning[, ].

Medicinal

The plant is considered astringent[].

A decoction of the leaves is drunk locally as a general tonic[, ]. The young leaves are an ingredient of a post-partum medicine used by women after childbirth[].
The crushed leaves and shoots are used to massage an enlarged spleen caused by malaria[, ]. A decoction of the leaves is used to bathe the body to prevent a slight chill developing into a fever[, ]. The leaves are used to treat scaly skin[],

A decoction of the flowers is administered to treat gonorrhoea and irregular menstruation[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is suitable for protection planting and erosion control on beaches and sand dunes418].

Other Uses

The wood can be used as posts, and small poles[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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