Common Name:

General Information

Oldfieldia dactylophylla is a semi-deciduous tree growing up to 15 metres tall. It has a short bole up to 25cm in diameter, that is usually swollen at the base, and spreading branches that give it a flattish or rounded open crown[]. The plant exudes a milky latex[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - DR Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi.

Habitat

Deciduous plateau woodland, often on sandy soils, usually as a subcanopy tree or shrub in Brachystegia and mixed deciduous woodlands, and woodland on Kalahari Sand, also on rocky hills and dambo margins at elevations from 1035 - 1830 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier tropics, where it is found at elevations from 1,000 - 1,800 metres. In Tanzania it is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 700 - 1,000mm[].
In the wild it grows on various soil types including sandy loams, sandy clay loams and red clay loams[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The pulp has a sweetish flavour that is liked by children and travellers[]. The seed is rejected[]. The round, dull yellow-green, softly hairy fruit is about 2cm in diameter[].

Medicinal

A decoction from the roots is used as a treatment of VD and hernia. It is also used as an aphrodisiac. The roots are washed, boiled, and the liquid is given to the patient three times a day[].

Other Uses

The dull brown wood is used for making spoons[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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