Common Name:

General Information

Lannea schimperi is a deciduous shrub or tree with a spreading crown; it can grow from 2 - 15 metres tall. The short bole can be 45cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree is valued locally for its edible fruit, which is commonly harvested from the wild, especially by children. It also has local medicinal uses and is a source of wood and fibre.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, south to Zambia and Mozambique.

Habitat

Various types of deciduous woodland and wooded grassland; savannah; sometimes on termite mounds; rocky slopes, outcrops on volcanic, limestone and basement complex; at elevations from 800 - 2,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. It is much relished, especially by children[, ]. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter[].

The seed is also eaten[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the stem bark is drunk, and the dried stem bark is smoked as a treatment against backache and general weakness. A decoction of the bark is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, stomach pain and chest problems[, ], whilst the bark is also used as enema against dysentery[, ]. An infusion of the bark, combined with the bark of mkuyu (Ficus sp), and mlembela (Dalbergiella nyasae), is drunk as a treatment for dysentery[]. Juice from the stem bark is given as an enema to babies during feeding to avoid vomiting and diarrhoea[]. The bark is used to treat opportunistic infections in AIDS patients, such as herpes, tuberculosis and diarrhoea[]. A decoction of the bark is drunk as a remedy for stomach pain[]. A decoction of the stem bark, combined with the stem barks of Ozoroa insignis, Gymnosporia senegalensis and Entada abyssinica, plus the aerial parts of Rhynchosia resinosa, is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers. This decoction has been shown to have a dose-dependant protective activity and also to have moderate antibacterial activity[]
The bark is applied topically to treat snake-bites[, ].

The root has astringent properties[]. A decoction is used as a treatment for chest troubles, colds and syphilis[, ].
A decoction of the root is used as a mouth-wash for toothache[, ].

The fruit is used in treatment of hookworm infections in the small intestine, the effective part being perhaps the bitter-tasting kernel[, ].

The leaves, or leaf sap, are used in the treatment of bloody diarrhoea[].
The leaf pulp is applied topically against vaginal prolapse[].

The stem bark has shown antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae; it is rich in anthocyanins and contains coumarins[].
Unspecified parts have shown antifungal activity and a lowering effect on blood pressure[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are much visited by bees in search of nectar and may have some value as a bee-plant[, ].

Other Uses

The bark is used to make a string, rope and cordage[, , ].

A gum is obtained from the trunk. It has no recorded usage[].

The whitish wood is soft, and very light in weight[, ]. It is said to be of no value[]. It is occasionally used in carpentry[].
The wood is used for fuel and is valued for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed -

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