Common Name:

General Information

Lannea nigritana is a sparsely branched tree with a widely spreading crown; It can grow 8 - 15 metres tall. The bole can be 30cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is often planted in villages for the fruit[, ].
Lannea nigritana has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical west Africa - Senegal to Cameroon and Gabon.

Habitat

Extreme dry types of forest (var. nigritana); stony soil in coastal savannah; fringing forest, forest gallery; niayes; doleritic plateaux; drier parts of secondary growth of the savannah in the forest zone; at elevations from 5 - 718 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The ripe fruit is black[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the bark is used in the treatment of intestinal pains and dysentery[]. Sap from the pounded bark is given to epileptics and persons subject to giddiness and fainting[].
Applied externally, the pulped bark is put on areas of skin trouble, and into sore[]. The powdered bark is considered to be a sovereign remedy for stubborn sores and the inner bark layer is used in massage to restore muscular tone[].

A decoction of the roots and bark in butter, and in a draught, is used in the treatment of chest-troubles and stiffness[].

The powdered root, combined with the leaves of Strychnos sp., is used as a treatment for abscesses and inflammations[].

A decoction of leaves and twig-bark is administered as an enema for treating abdominal complaints[].

The seed is purgative[].

Other Uses

Ash from the burnt wood is a source of potash that is used to make soap[].

In Sierra Leone a variety is recognized which ’does not have knobs on the bark.’ This is said to have a finer scent than other forms and women collect the frass made by borers in the stem, dry it out, grind it and mix it with water. This is used as a scented cosmetic to rub on the body, and also to rub on to areas of craw-craw[].

Propagation

Seed -

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