This species is often confused in the literature with the closely related Picralima nitida[].

Common Name:

General Information

Hunteria congolana is a shrub or a tree that can grow from 1.7 - 20 metres tall. The fluted bole can be straight or sinuous, it is up to 30cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

A root decoction, mixed with parts of other plant species, is used to make arrow poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Congo, DR Congo, Kenya.

Habitat

Understorey of primary forest, rarely in secondary forest and gallery forests, at elevations from 500 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction or infusion of the bark is taken as an anthelmintic and to treat fever, stomach-ache and diarrhoea[].

The seeds are taken as an anthelmintic and to treat fever, stomach-ache and diarrhoea[].

Some 23 indole alkaloids have been isolated from the plant[].
Eburnamonine (synonyms: vinburnine, vincamone) from the roots, plus akuammicine and pseudoakuammigine from the seeds, have an effect on the vasomotor and respiratory centres of the brain[]. In tests, oral application gave an increased tonus, increased blood pressure and in some cases strong muscular contractions and even death. Low doses may result in an increase of arterial blood pressure. These activities are comparable to those of strychnine[].
Pseudoakuammigine is an indirect, reversible and competitive parasympathomimetic[].

Other Uses

All parts of the plant contain a milky to yellow latex[]. No uses are mentioned.

The yellow wood is hard[]. No uses are mentioned.

Propagation

Seed -

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