Common Name:

General Information

Dombeya buettneri is a straggly shrub or a small tree growing from 1 - 10 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of fibre and for local medicinal use. It has potential for use as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland or when establishing a woodland garden[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, south through Uganda, eastern DR Congo to Zambia.

Habitat

Secondary forest, edges of riparian forest; a forest precursor in various types of secondary communities; Combretum-Terminalia- wooded grassland with tall Hyparrhenia, on rocky hillsides and outcrops; at elevations from 150 - 2,200 metres[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

In cultivation, species in this genus generally grow best in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil and a position in full sun or partial shade[].
The plant responds well to coppicing and generally also regrows well from the base after a fire[].
The stem releases a very sticky fluid when cut[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the root is drunk as a laxative and a decoction of the root is drunk to prevent miscarriage[].

Root, bark and leaf preparations are used as a remedy against diarrhoea[].

An aqueous extract of the leaf is used for the treatment of gastrointestinal problems[]. The powdered leaf, or a decoction of the leaf, is taken or inhaled as a treatment against headache[]. A decoction of the leaf is drunk to prevent diseases in children and as an emetic, whereas an infusion of the leaf is used for the treatment of haemorrhoids. A decoction of the leaf or leafy twig forms part of preparations drunk for the treatment of mental illness[].
The leaf sap is applied on wounds[].

An aqueous extract of the leaf has been shown to cause significant reduction in gastric acid secretion and to reduce the extent of gastric mucosal damage induced by ethanol[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant invades pastures and is a common component of secondary forest formations[]. It has potential for use as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland or when establishing a woodland garden[].

Other Uses

The stem-bark is very fibrous[, ]. Rather harsh, woody and weak[]. It is used locally for tying and to make rope and nets[, ]. It is made into cords that are used to support a basket on the back for carrying, and is also used for making baskets[].
The bark is removed from the stem and retted in running water for 3 - 4 days (sometimes up to 15 days), after which it is scraped to obtain the fibre. About 1 kilo of fibre was obtained from 34 kilos of green, defoliated stems[].
Investigations in Rwanda in the 1950's indicated that the fibre had a specific strength of 427 N/mm² and a breaking length of 29 km[].

The young shoots are used for making beehives[].

Propagation

Seed is very small but can be extracted from fully ripened, dry flower heads. Its viability declines within 3 months, so fresh seed has to be used for sowing. Seed is to be sown in properly drained seedbeds. Seedlings emerge in about 3 weeks[].
Cuttings of semi-ripe wood, preferably with some bottom heat to encourage rooting[].

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