Common Name:

General Information

Erythrococca bongensis is an erect or scandent shrub or small tree, sometimes adopting a more or less climbing habit. It usually grows up to 3.5 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 6 metres[].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Sudan, Ethiopia, eastern DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania.

Habitat

Forest edges and associated bushland or thickets, especially in fire-protected localities, along rivers and lakesides, in the shade of riverine Acacia forest and in savannah, at elevations from 200 - 2,450 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	3.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The leaves are anthelmintic, antitussive, stomachic and tonic[]. The sap is diluted with water and drunk, or the leaves are mixed with butter and eaten, as a treatment against cough[]. The leaves are eaten as a treatment for stomach complaints and to expel tapeworms[]. A decoction of the leaves is used as a fortifier for children, as a treatment for diarrhoea and, when salt is added, is used as a treatment for dehydration[]. A leaf decoction is used as a wash, or vapour bath, against diarrhoea[]. The leaves and stems are applied as an enema against haemorrhoids[].
A decoction of the leaves. combined with several other plants, is taken orally or is applied as an enema against diarrhoea. An infusioncombined with several other plants is applied as an enema against various skin infections. A decoction of the leaves, again combined with several other plants, is given as a drink to women whose foetus does not move[].
The leaf powder is sniffed as a preventative of vomiting[]. An infusion of the leaves is used as a wash to treat skin problems, while a decoction of leafy twigs is applied as a wash to treat rectal prolapse[].

A decoction of leaves and roots, sometimes combined with Hibiscus fuscus, is drunk to expel intestinal parasites[]. The root or leaf powder is taken in milk to treat tonsillitis[].

An infusion of the root is given as an enema against stomach-ache and indigestion[].

In veterinary medicine, the leaf sap is given to facilitate parturition. A decoction of the leaves is given in serious cases of anthrax and East Coast fever[].

Other Uses

The branches are used to make arrow shafts and walking sticks[].

Propagation

Seed -

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