Common Name:

General Information

Mallotus subulatus is a shrub or a tree that can grow up to 5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Cameroon and Central African Republic; south to Gabon, Congo and DR Congo.

Habitat

Evergreen lowland forest[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	4.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the roots, combined with the seeds of Aframomum melegueta, is taken as an enema to treat lumbago[].

The roots, leaves and fruits are ground and taken in water to treat dysentery[].

Wet leaves are pulped and applied to wounds as a styptic[]. The head is massaged with the pulp or maceration of young leaves to treat headache and nervous break-down[].

The ground seeds in water are taken to treat stomach-ache[].

The bark sap is rubbed onto local scarifications in case of pain in the side and lumbago[].

Preliminary tests revealed traces of alkaloids in the roots, and abundant saponins and little tannin in the stem bark and roots[].

Other Uses

In southern Nigeria the Igbo people apply the powdered seeds to the faces of young men and girls as a mask[].

Propagation

Seed -

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