Common Name:

General Information

Excoecaria bussei is a deciduous shrub or tree, sometimes multistemmed, with spreading branches and a dense, rounded crown; it can grow 2.5 - 6 metres tall with occasional specimens to 13 metres[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

The plant sap is considered poisonous, and cattle do not browse the plant[].

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, bushland, wooded grassland; sometimes riverine or along rocky scarps; thicket; banks of seasonal watercourses in Baikiaea mutemwa; coastal dune forest and thicket; locally common; at elevations up to 1,300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	5.00 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

Sometimes the seeds are chewed; they are tasteless at first but later produce a peppery, burning sensation, which lasts a long time. Most people consider them poisonous[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is emetic[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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