This is a very variable with several subspecies. It has frequently been confused with Gymnosporia senegalensis[].

Common Name:

General Information

Gymnosporia heterophylla is sometimes only a small shrub growing 30 - 250cm tall, but more commonly becomes a tree growing up to 7 metres tall, occasionally 9 metres. The plant can be unarmed, or with green to brown spines up to 35mm long[, ]. The spines can be up to 24cm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, mainly as a medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern and southern Africa - Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, eastern DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, S. Africa, Ma

Habitat

Forest; fringing forest margins; thickets and woodland; on termite mounds; sand dunes and riverine localities, at elevations up to 3,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	5.00 m
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 roots are boiled and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

Medicinal uses are reported throughout the range of the plant. Some research has been carried out into the medicinal activities of the plant.
Maytenfolic acid, isolated from the plant, has moderate antimicrobial activity; it showed growth inhibition of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa[].
Maytansinoids have been isolated from other Maytenus species, which have shown significant antitumour and antileukaemic activities[].

The leaves are used as a remedy for painful menstruation[].

The bark is emetic. An infusion is used to treat diarrhoea[].

A leaf and bark infusion is used against diarrhoea in cattle[].

The roots are anthelmintic. They are used as a treatment for hernia and as a cure for syphilis[].

Unspecified plant parts are used as a remedy for snakebite, epilepsy, abscesses and convulsions in children[].

Other Uses

The wood is very hard and heavy and resembles boxwood (Buxus species). It is generally only available in small dimensions, but is suitable for making small objects such as spoons and stools, for carving and for throwing sticks ('knobkerries')[].

Propagation

Seed -

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