Common Name:

General Information

Lecaniodiscus cupanioides is an elegant tree with a low-branching, spreading crown; it can grow up to 12 metres, sometimes more, tall[]. The bole is about 10cm in diameter[].
Mainly valued for its use in traditional medicine, the tree also provides a timber and food. Usually harvested from the wild, it is sometimes planted as a village shade-tree and is also grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The bark is an ingredient of arrow-poisons and is said to be highly effective[].
The root is considered to be poisonous by some tribes in Africa[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Sudan, south to northern Angola, southern Zaire and Uganda.

Habitat

Forest outliers in the savannah zone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

The seeds are covered in a purple aril which is chewed like the kola nut (Cola spp.) and has a sharp pungent taste like that of Capsicum frutescens[].

Fruit - cooked. A sweet pulp[]. It is stored for a few days and then boiled[]. The fruit has a disagreeable smell on cutting open[].

The fragrant flowers are sometimes used to prepare an aromatic water[].

Medicinal

The plant is often used in traditional medicine, especially for such conditions as inflammations, enlarged liver and bacterial infections[]. Modern research has shown that there are a number of medically active compounds in the plant and that these often verify the traditional uses[].
A leaf extract has been shown to be an effective antibiotic on a range of bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus pyrogens[].
An aqueous extract of the root has been shown to have CNS depressant activity. In trials, it protected mice from strychnine-induced convulsions[].

The bark is made into a pulp for inhalation or into a snuff to relieve headache, sinusitis and nasal congestion in head-colds, also otitis (ear infection) and ophthalmia (eye problem)[]. The fresh bark is used to treat earache[].
A bark-decoction is applied externally as a general reconstituent or as a revulsive for pains in the chest, bronchitis, pleurisy and kidney-pains[].
The crushed bark is used in frictions to treat pruritus, whilst a wash make from the bark is applied to the skin of people with small-pox[].
The bark sap is used as an enema for treating kidney-pains[].

The leaves are antibacterial, rubefacient[]. They are applied to boils, bruised limbs, etc, but should not be left in place for too long or they can irritate the skin[].
The leaves and the fruit are pounded together with white clay and then rubbed on the body as a treatment for fever[].

The seeds have a hot, spicy flavour. They are used on skin-eruptions and internally for worms and pains, while crushed up they are pasted over the stomach as a treatment for difficult childbirth[].

The fruit is considered anthelmintic[].

Other Uses

The wood is yellowish white, soft and somewhat fibrous. It is probably suitable for house-building[].

Propagation

Seed -

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