Macrosphyra longistyla
(DC.) Hiern
Rubiaceae
Gardenia longistyla (DC.) Hook.
Gardenia paleacea A.Rich.
Macrosphyra paleacea (A.Rich.) K.Schum.
Oxyanthus villosus G.Don
Randia longistyla DC.
Solena longistyla (DC.) D.Dietr.
Common Name:
Close-up of the flowers
Photograph by: Atamari
General Information
Macrosphyra longistyla is a shrub producing long, arching stems up to 4 metres long that often clamber into other plants for support.
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Tropical Africa - Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda.
Habitat
Damp depressions in waste places of secondary jungles, usually along coastal areas, but sometimes found inland in west Africa[
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 |  |
| Habit | Climber |
| Height | 4.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[
617- Title
- Traditional Vegetables in Benin
- Publication
-
- Author
- Achigan-Dako E. Et al
- Publisher
- Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science
- Year
- 2009
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin.
].
Medicinal
The leaves and flowers are used medicinally[
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 diuretic and are used to treat kidney problems[
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
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
