Common Name:

General Information

Mundulea sericea is a semi-deciduous large shrub or tree with a bushy crown; it can grow from 1 - 8 metres tall, with occasional specimens to 12 metres being recorded. The bole is straight, with a corky, smooth or fissured bark[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. It can also be grown as a hedge and is a potential pioneer species for restoring native woodland. The natural range of the species has been greatly extended owing to its cultivation as a fish poison[]. An attractive tree, it is also often grown in the ornamental garden[].

Known Hazards

The pounded bark, leaves and sometimes the seeds and roots are used for fish poisoning. Very effective, unlike most other fish poisons which merely stun the fish, this plant usually kills them but also usually leaves them safe to eat[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Africa - widespread in drier areas from Guinea and Mali to Somalia, south to S. Africa and Madagascar; E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka.

Habitat

Open places in lowland evergreen forest and bushland; rocky hills in deciduous woodland. deciduous bushland and thicket; locally common but absent from large areas; at elevations from sea level to 1,950 metres[].

Properties

Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun or in light shade. Prefers a well-drained, deep sandy or gravelly soil, preferably rich in organic matter[].
The tree is relatively slow-growing with a growth rate of 50 - 100cm per year, though the growth rate increases as the tree ages[].
The corky bark of this species helps to give it some protection from bush fires[].
Plants respond well to coppicing[].
The root system is not aggressive[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves are used as an emetic to treat poisoning in both people and dogs[].

Infusions of the root are used to treat infertility[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree can be used as a mulch and green manure crop[].
Plants can be grown close together and trimmed to make a hedge[].

The plant is likely to be useful in reafforesting bare hills in such regions as Bellary, India[].

Other Uses

The leaves, bark and seeds all contain rotenone (the active constituent of the insecticide derris)[].
The bark is used in east Africa to repel crocodiles[].

The pounded leaves are mixed with lard and used as a hair dye[].

Small branches are used as toothbrush sticks[].

The heartwood is yellow, the bark a lighter yellow. The wood is close-grained, tough, hard, and produces a strong, unpleasant scent when worked[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. The seeds should germinate in 2 - 6 weeks. When the seedlings reach the two-leaf stage (12 - 16 weeks after sowing), transplant them into nursery bags, pots or individual containers. Use sandy soil (or clay soil with 50% sand mixed in) with some well-rotted compost, taking care not to damage the long taproot. Seedlings and young trees usually transplant well[].
Cuttings[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: How many suns are in our solar system