Common Name:

General Information

Isolona hexaloba is a tree that can grow from 10 - 40 metres tall. The bole can be free of branches for 75% of its height; it is deeply fluted; and up to 60cm, exceptionally 100cm, in diameter[].
The bark is a popular traditional medicine that is commonly harvested from the wild and often sold in local markets[]. The wood is also used locally.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, northern Angola.

Habitat

Evergreen and semi-deciduous forest, in both dense primary as well as more open secondary formations, often along rivers; at elevations up to 700 metres[].

Properties

Habit	Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	?Beetles, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[].
A very variable species[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

In traditional medicine the bark is used as purgative and bark decoctions are administered to treat abdominal pain, constipation and wounds[].

The bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids curine and cycleanine have been isolated form the root bark. Both compounds showed significant trypanocidal activity in mice infected with strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan causing Chagas’ disease[].
The sesquiterpene derivative cazolobine has also been isolated from the roots[].

Other Uses

Pieces of wood serve as torches[].

The heartwood is creamy white, and indistinctly demarcated from the white sapwood, which becomes reddish upon exposure. The wood is used for shields[].

Propagation

Seed -

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