Common Name:

General Information

Pseudocedrela kotschyi is a small, deciduous tree with an oblong to pyramid-shaped, usually dense crown; it can grow up to 12 metres tall with occasional specimens to 20 metres[]. The straight and cylindrical bole, which can be branchless for up to 7.5 metres, is up to 70cm in diameter[]. In natural stands, the bole is often low-branching and stunted because of fire damage, and this has great influence on the timber quality and quantity[].
The tree provides a popular traditional medicine and a valuable timber. It is harvested from the wild, mainly for local use and is also occasionally planted as an ornamental shade tree and roadside tree[].

Known Hazards

The application of root juice can lead to severe skin necrosis, and care should be taken when it is applied to ulcers etc[].
The bark is used as an ingredient of arrow poison, and as a fish poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Ethiopia, south to Zaire and Uganda.

Habitat

Savannah woodland and woody grassland, at elevations up to 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the wild on heavy and poorly drained soils[].
The tree can be managed by coppicing and pollarding[].
Trees are often subject to fire, but are very resistant and survive annual fire for over 50 years[].
It has been observed that there is often profuse regeneration in the rainy season, and it has been suggested that the fires of the dry season improve the germination of the seeds[]. On the other hand, it has also been reported that seed is destroyed by fire and that regeneration in localities that are subject to regular fire is limited to root suckers[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has numerous uses in traditional medicine, particularly its bark, roots and leaves. Various studies have demonstrated a range of medicinal actions[].
The wood contains limonoids, including pseudrelones, one of which has shown anti-HIV activity[].
Bark extracts have shown in-vitro antibacterial activity, and anti-ulcer activity[].
In tests, the roots demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity[].
Crude ethanol extracts of the leaves showed distinct anthelmintic activity against Haemonchus contortus, a pathogenic nematode in small ruminants[].
The essential oils from the stem and root bark are exclusively composed of sesquiterpenoids[]. The antioxidant and antiradical activities of the essential oils were found to be low[].

Bark decoctions or macerations are used to treat fever, stomach-ache, diarrhoea and dysentery, and as a diuretic and aphrodisiac[].
The bark decoction is applied externally to ulcers, sores, rheumatism, leprosy, syphilis, yaws, itch, caries and gingivitis[].
Root or root bark preparations are used as a powerful diuretic, to treat asthma, fever, dysentery, oedema, and to facilitate childbirth[].
The root or root bark preparations are applied externally to ulcers, mastitis, haemorrhoids, fractures, rheumatism, caries and gingivitis, and as an aphrodisiac[].
A tea made from root powder is drunk to treat liver cirrhosis[].
The stem bark is used in mixtures to treat trypanosomiasis in livestock, and leaves are administered in veterinary medicine against intestinal worms[].

Pounded leafy twigs are rubbed into the skin to treat headache and rheumatism, and a leaf decoction is applied as a compress to fractures, and is drunk and used in a bath against rash and oedema[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The leaves are used as a green manure[].
In Uganda, the tree is grown in pure stands or mixed with other trees such as mango and cashew nut[].

Other Uses

The bark yields a brownish dye that has been used for dyeing cloth[, ].

Young stems and roots are commonly used as chewing sticks to keep the teeth healthy[].

A soluble gum is obtained from the tree[]. It resembles the gum obtained from Acacia seyal, but is of inferior quality[].

The heartwood is reddish brown and distinctly demarcated from the whitish to pale brown sapwood of varying width. The grain is interlocked, texture medium and even. The wood has an attractive figure, a faint smell and contains some gum[]. It is moderately heavy; saws and works well with hand and machine tools; planes smoothly, and nails, screws and glues satisfactorily[]. The wood is fairly durable, but is susceptible to attack by Lyctus and longhorn beetles and slightly liable to termite attack[]. The wood is valued for high-class joinery, furniture and cabinet making, and for construction. It resembles mahogany, but is heavier and harder. It is also used for doors, windows, frames, drums, barrels, canoes, mortars, bowls and gun-stocks. It is suitable for flooring, interior trim, ship building, vehicle bodies, toys, novelties, carvings, turnery, veneer and plywood[].
The wood is also used as firewood and for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed - they lose their viability rapidly, and should be sown soon after collection. Immersion in hot water and soaking for one night improve the germination results[]. Seedlings have a long taproot, making transplanting difficult[].
The seeds can be stored for up to 2 months in sealed containers in a cool place. They are easily attacked by insects and it is recommended that ash is added when they are stored[].
The plant develops root suckers, by which it can spread fairly well, resulting in clumps of trees[].

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: 10 times itself is?