Common Name:

General Information

Excoecaria madagascariensis is a shrub or tree, usually growing from 2 - 3 metres tall, occasionally to 7 metres[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is considered to be a useful indicator of underground water and could be used for soil erosion control in riparian areas[].
The plant is locally common in East Africa and Madagascar, but in Swaziland there are indications that it is at risk of genetic erosion because of forest clearing and invasion of alien plants, such as Chromolaena odorata and Melia azedarach[].

Known Hazards

The plant sap is used in the preparation of a hunting arrow poison, often in combination with the latex of Acokanthera schimperi and the tuber of Dioscorea quartiniana[].
The sap causes painful blisters when it touches the skin[].
The plants are very toxic to cattle and camels[].

Botanical References

,

Range

East tropical Africa - Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, northern S. Africa, Madagascar.

Habitat

An understorey plant in evergreen rainforests; thickets; woodland on granitic outcrops; dry evergreen forests; commonly along rivers; at elevations from 50 - 1,830 metres[, ].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A moderately fast growing plant[].
The plant can be pruned and pollarded[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

No chemical or pharmacological analyses have been carried out for this species, but several highly toxic alkaloids (excoecarins) and phorbol esters have been reported in other members of the genus[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Excoecaria madagascariensis is also considered a useful indicator of underground water and could be used for soil erosion control in riparian areas[].

Other Uses

The wood is used to make tool handles[].
The wood is used for fuel and for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed -

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