Closely related to Ekebergia benguelensis. The differences separating the two species are slight, but most specimens can be assigned to one or other species without difficulty. A few specimens that are atypical for one character have been collected but genuine intermediates have not been detected[].

Common Name: Cape Ash

General Information

Ekebergia capensis is a large evergreen or semi-deciduous tree with a moderately heavy, flattish crown; it usually grows from 7 - 20 metres tall, exceptionally to 35 metres[, , ]. It has a short, crooked, heavily fluted bole that rarely exceeds 9 metres in height with a diameter of about 90cm[]. The bole is swollen at the base; it may be tall and fluted when growing in forests or much shorter or unfluted when in the open; it may also be buttressed[].
The plant is a popular traditional medicine and is commonly gathered from the wild for local use. The bark and roots are commonly sold on local markets for medicinal purposes[]. The plant also supplies food and materials as well as being planted to provide shade and shelter in plantations. A very ornamental tree, it is often planted in gardens and along the sides of roads in order to provide shade[, ].

Known Hazards

Bark and roots have been used as ordeal poisons[].
The bark contains the toxic compound 8-methoxy 4-methyl coumarin[].

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Senegal to Ethiopia, south to Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and S. Africa.

Habitat

Occurs in a number of different habitats, from high altitude evergreen forests to riverine forests, and from the sea level to about 1,500 metres above sea level[]. Dry montane forest, open grassland and the coastal savannah belt in E. Africa[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees, Ants
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of drier to moist subtropical and tropical climates, where it is found at elevations up to 3,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 26°c, but can tolerate 12 - 38°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -1°c or lower, but young growth is severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 700 - 2,500mm[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Grows best in a well-drained, light to medium soil of moderate fertility[]. The plant grows well when given lots of water, but once established can tolerate light drought conditions[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[].
The tree is fairly fast growing; growth rates of up to 1 metre per year have been reported[].
The flowers are fragrant[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. Not much liked[]. Not very palatable[]. The pink to red-brown or deep red fruit is a globose to ellipsoid drupe from 10 - 30mm long containing 2 - 4 stones,each stone usually containing 1 seed[].

Medicinal

The bark, roots and leaves are widely used in traditional medicine. Much research has been carried out into the active compounds in the plant and this research has tended to support the traditional uses[].
The growth of both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was inhibited by bark extracts of Ekebergia capensis at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml[].
Bark extracts showed antiplasmodial activity against both chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum[].
In-vivo tests have shown significant suppression of chloroquine-tolerant Plasmodium berghei by both bark and leaf extracts[].
Several antiplasmodial triterpenoids have been isolated from the bark[].
Methanol extracts of the bark showed pronounced antibacterial activity against several bacteria[].
Extracts of the wood have shown uterotonic activity on uterine smooth muscle - the active compounds isolated were identified as oleanonic acid and 3- epioleanolic acid[].
Leaf extracts have shown antioxidant activity[].
Seed extracts have shown significant in-vitro anthelmintic activity against Haemonchus contortus, supporting the traditional use as an anthelmintic for livestock in Ethiopia[].
Limonoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids and phenolic compounds have also been isolated from the plant[]
The seeds contain the limonoid ekebergin as their main constituent.[]

The bark is astringent, emetic and vermifuge[, ]. Decoctions, infusions and macerations are taken to treat a range of conditions including gastritis, heartburn, dysentery, epilepsy and gonorrhoea[, ].
The bark is used externally to treat a range of skin complaints including ulcers, abscesses, boils, scabies, acne, pimples and itching[]. A powder prepared with the bark is sniffed against headache, colds and sinusitis[].

The roots are diuretic and expectorant. A decoction is used to treat kidney problems, dysentery, headaches, heartburn, chronic coughs and other respiratory complaints[, ].
The charred and pulverized roots are sniffed as a means of relieving headaches and blocked noses[].

The leaves are vermifuge. Macerations are used both internally and externally in the treatment of headaches, fevers, coughs and skin complaints[, ]. The leaves are used as a remedy for intestinal worms[].

The wood is used by Zulu peopleto facilitate childbirth[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used to provide a windbreak[].
The tree is used for soil conservation and stabilization[, ].
The trees can be intercropped with coffee and bananas in order to provide shade and protection from the wind[, ].

Other Uses

The bark contains about 7.2% tannins[, , ].

The wood is pinkish when freshly cut, turning whitish or pale brown on drying, the sapwood and heartwood are not clearly defined[]. The texture varies from fine to coarse; the grain is straight; sometimes figured[]. The wood is medium-weight to moderately heavy, soft and not very durable. It nails easily, though it tends to split; is easy to work with both hand and machine tools; it planes to a smooth surface and takes a fair polish; boring and mortising do not cause problems. With its straw colour, it makes attractive furniture[]. A general utility wood, it is also used for light construction, joinery, figured veneer, plywood, poles, tool handles, interior trim, ship building, vehicle bodies, sporting goods, toys, novelties, vats, food containers, boxes, crates, matches, etc[, ].
The wood is used as fuel and to make charcoal[, , , ].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak stored seeds in water for a day and then scrub with a brush to remove the fleshy part[]. Sow in trays filled with river sand or normal potting soil, plant not deeper than 5mm. They germinate in 4 - 8 weeks[].
Tip or hardwood cuttings can be planted in trays filled with river sand or can be planted directly into the ground as truncheons[].

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