Common Name:

General Information

Erythrina abyssinica is a much-branched, deciduous shrub or tree with a usually rounded, spreading crown. It grows from 1 - 15 metres tall, with occasional specimens as much as 24 metres tall[]. The bole is usually short and up to 60cm in diameter; it is armed with woody bosses; the bark is corky; and the branches are armed with spines 4 - 8 mm long and densely clothed with fine tomentum[].
A veritable multipurpose tree, it is grown to protect the soil and provide shade, has a wide range of medicinal uses and supplies a number of other commodities including dye material, live fencing, craft material, wood and fuel[]. It is widely cultivated as a living fence and is also sometimes grown (especially in Cuba) as a medicinal plant. It is often grown as an ornamental and shade tree in tropical areas both within and outside its native range[].

Known Hazards

The seeds contain a curare-like poison[]. If injected into the bloodstream, it acts as an anaesthetic that may cause paralysis and even death by respiratory failure[].
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the bark and stems of plants in this genus usually contain alkaloids that are toxic in all but small amounts[].

Botanical References

Range

Eastern and southern tropical Africa - Ethiopia and Sudan to Angola, Botswana and Mozambique.

Habitat

Found in various habitats including open woodlands, forest clearings, grasslands, and lowland woodlands from around 60 metres up to elevations of 2,000 metres or more except in very dry or high altitude areas[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Birds, Bees
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A tree of low to moderate elevations in tropical areas, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,300 metres[]. It grows naturally in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 800 - 1,500mm, though it has also been shown to succeed with rainfall as low as500mm or as high as 2,500mm[, ]. Its optimal temperature range is in the range 15 - 25°c, tolerating 10 - 30[, ]. Plants do not tolerate frost[].
The plant is moderately light-demanding[]. It is found in the wild on loamy to clayey soils, preferring deep well-drained soils on plateaus and slopes, with a pH of 3.5 - 5.5[]. Prefers a pH in the range 4 - 5.5, tolerating 3.5 - 6.5[].
Seedlings develop a deep root system before stem growth starts[].
Trees are fire resistant, and even seedlings resprout after fires, due to their deep root system[].
Trees grow moderately fast, but growth rates vary widely depending on soil conditions[].
Trees can be managed by pollarding and coppicing[]. Older trees coppice readily[].
Planting large stakes of 2.5 metres long and 8 - 10 cm in diameter is sometimes practised in order to produce large trees quickly[]. These stakes can produce a canopy of 3 - 4 m in diameter within 6 months[].
All species in this genus are believed to be self-compatible. Their flowers are adapted to pollination by birds, though various insects can also cause fertilization. The various species of Erythrina can all, as far as is known, be intercrossed to produce fertile hybrids. Those species most closely related to each other cross fairly readily, but even species that are quite distant can hybridize[, ].
The flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees at the end of the dry season, strengthening bee colonies in this difficult period[].
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

None known

Medicinal

A well known traditional medicinal plant, all parts of the plant can be used, though the root and its bark is most commonly used[].
Several compounds, particularly flavonoids and isoflavonoids, have been isolated from the root bark[]. These have exhibited a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity[].
A crude extract of the root bark has shown antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum[]. Stem bark extracts have also shown antiplasmodial activity, including activity against chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, and flavonoids have been isolated as active ingredients[].

The bark is used to treat a wide range of conditions including snakebites, malaria, sexually transmittable diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, amoebiasis, elephantiasis, cough, liver inflammation, stomach-ache, colic and measles[]. The bark sap is drunk as an anthelmintic[, ].
Used externally, the roasted and powdered bark is applied to burns, ulcers and swellings[].
The liquid from the crushed bark of green stems is used to cure conjunctivitis caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (trachoma)[].

The roots are used to treat peptic ulcers, epilepsy, malaria, blennorrhagia and schistosomiasis[].

The pounded flowers are used to treat dysentery[]. A maceration of the flower is drunk as an abortifacient, and applied externally to treat earache[].

A leaf decoction serves as an emetic[]. The leaves are taken to treat peptic ulcers and diarrhoea[].
The leaves are applied externally to wounds and painful joints[].

Fruit extracts are taken to treat asthma and meningitis[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants can be grown as a 'living fence' from truncheons[]. They are extensively used as a live fence around homesteads[]. Planting large stakes, 250cm long and 8 - 10cm in diameter, can produce a canopy of 3 - 4 metres diameter within 6 months[].
Most Erythrina species are very easy to grow from cuttings, with even quite large branches striking well. In addition, they generally fix atmospheric nitrogen, have nutrient-rich leaves that make an excellent soil-enriching mulch, often have open crowns that do not overly restrict light, and are also often quite thorny and can provide impenetrable barriers to protect from unwelcome intrusions. Many species are therefore used as living fences to provide boundaries and livestock-proof hedges[, ].
The tree is recommended for soil conservation programmes, for erosion control, and for use as green manure[].
It is the main planted shade tree for coffee in Ethiopia[]. It is planted on stream banks and terraces to conserve the soil[].

Other Uses

The seeds are locally popular for making curios and necklaces[, ].

The bark is sometimes used as a brown dye for textiles[].
A red dye is obtained from the sap[].

When damaged, the tree exudes a brown, gummy sap[, ].

Cork from the bark is used as floats for fishing nets[].

The greyish white wood sometimes has shades of red. The grain is usually straight; the texture coarse. The wood is light in weight; soft; not durable, being prone to fungal and wood-borer attacks, though it is moderately resistant to termites. It is easy to work, but planed surfaces may be woolly; it does not split when nailed, but the nail-holding capacity is poor. The wood is commonly used for making carvings, stools, drums, mortars, beehives, tool handles, brake blocks and floats for fishing nets, and sometimes also in house construction[]. Wood from the roots is used for making walking sticks[].
The wood serves as firewood; it smoulders readily without flaming and keeps smouldering for long periods[].

Propagation

Seed - the germination rate is generally low, around 10 - 30%[]. Pre-treatment with hot water or concentrated sulphuric acid may increase the germination rate up to 90%[]. Scarification of seeds is also beneficial for germination; this can be done by rubbing with sandpaper or nicking with a knife, after which the seeds should be immersed in water for some hours until they begin to swell[]. To obtain optimal growth, seeds are inoculated with appropriate Rhizobium bacteria immediately before sowing[]. Seeds can be sown in seed beds of sterile sand or in polythene bags with a mixture of soil, sand and compost (2:1:1). They should be sown with the hilum facing downward and covered with a thin layer of potting medium[]. Seedlings can be transplanted when 20 - 30 cm tall[]. Direct sowing in the field is also possible[].
Seeds should be collected from ripe pods still on the tree; they are widely available. They are sun dried for one day before storage. Seeds can be stored for long periods if they are kept in a cool and dry place and kept free from insects, e.g. By adding ash[].
Cuttings are often successful when these are planted in the rainy season[]. They are stripped of leaves and planted directly[].
Truncheons up to 2.5 metres long are commonly used to make living fences and produce shade trees quickly[].
Air-layering is possible[].

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