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Useful Tropical Plants

Landolphia dulcis

(Sabine) Pichon

Apocynaceae

+ Synonyms

Carpodinus acida Sabine

Carpodinus barteri Stapf

Carpodinus baumannii Hutch. & Dalziel

Carpodinus dulcis Sabine

Carpodinus flava Pierre

Carpodinus littoralis A.Chev.

Carpodinus oocarpa Stapf

Carpodinus parviflora Stapf

Carpodinus parvoflurus Guynet

Carpodinus pauciflora K.Schum.

Carpodinus tenuifolia Pierre ex Stapf

Clitandra oocarpa Stapf

Landolphia tenuifolia (Pierre ex Stapf) Pichon

Pacouria dulcis (Sabine) Roberty

Common Name:

Landolphia dulcis
Ripe fruit, cut open to show the structure
Photograph by: Wilma Dijkstra; African plants - A Photo Guide
© Wilma Dijkstra
Landolphia dulcis Landolphia dulcis Landolphia dulcis Landolphia dulcis Landolphia dulcis Landolphia dulcis

General Information

Landolphia dulcis is a climbing shrub producing stout woody, perennial stems up to 10 metres long that attach themselves to other plants for support by means of tendrils[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Tropical west Africa - Senegal to Nigeria and extending into the Congo.

Habitat

Subsp dulcis is found in savannah in the west of the species range, whilst subsp barteri becomes more common in the east of the range, where it is found in dense forest[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *
HabitClimber
Height15.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details




Two varieties are recognized in the Region:-
Var. dulcis occurs in the Soudano-Guinean savanna region of Senegal to Guinea, becoming infrequent in upper Ivory Coast.
Var. barteri (Stapf) Pichon is more widely dispersed in the dense forest from Guinea to S Nigeria and extending to Congo.
The varieties are considered together here[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Edible Uses

The fruit is edible but of variable palatability, sometimes sweet, sometimes acid, sometimes astringent[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. Perhaps these are varietal differences[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Medicinal

The plant is held in Senegalese medicine to have healing properties and is used medicinally in various ways[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. Research has shown that the leaves contain an alkaloid and saponins, whilst there are also saponins in the bark[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The trunk bark has also shown cardio-tonic action[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Serious wounds are treated with a decoction of leafy twigs and powdered bark[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Decoctions of the roots and stems are used for external massaging and in baths and ointments for treating arthritis and kidney pains[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Decoctions of the trunk-bark and root are used as a galactagogue by application to the breast[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. Weaning is facilitated for the mother simply by stopping further application[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

The roots are renowned in some parts of Africa for their supposed effectiveness as an aphrodisiac[
323
Title
Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
National Academy Press
Year
2008
ISBN
030910596X
Description
Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
].
A root-preparation is applied to sores[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Other Uses

The bark yields an abundant white latex which does not coagulate but yields a sticky substance[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The rubber is inferior and has found no use[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-07. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Landolphia+dulcis>

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