Common Name:

General Information

Rhigiocarya racemifera is a large climbing shrub with stems several metres long that climb into the surrounding vegetation. The stems can be 3 - 5cm in diameter at the base, with corky, comb-like projections about 1cm long[].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, and also supplies a glue, tooth picks and a snake repellent.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Cameroon, south to northern Angola.

Habitat

Dense, humid, evergreen or semi-deciduous forest, also in forest edges and in secondary forest, at elevations up to 800 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	0.00 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

Rhigiocarya racemifera is well known, and commonly used, in west Africa for its antineuralgic and aphrodisiac properties. Research into the plants constituents has supported these traditional uses.
The roots contain several alkaloids.
O-methylflavinantine exhibits a morphine-like antinociceptive activity[].
Liriodenine showed cytotoxicity against human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro and against several plant viruses[].
Aqueous leaf extracts contain saponins, tannins and glycosides. They showed significant anti-ulcer activities and also reduced gastrointestinal motility[].
The aqueous leaf extracts have also shown marked antispasmodic effects[].
The aqueous leaf extract did not show significant antimicrobial activity against several human pathogens[].
An ethanolic leaf extract did not show cytotoxicity against mammalian cells in vitro[].
Rhigiocarya racemifera is listed in patent applications relating to materials and methods for modulating expression of nucleic acid sequences such as those encoding polypeptides involved in the biosynthesis of alkaloids[].

A leaf infusion is drunk against mild stomach-ache and to treat diarrhoea, acute gastrointestinal pain, bloody diarrhoea and spasmodic dysmenorrhoea[].
The leaf sap is applied as eye drops or nose drops, or powdered leaves are instilled into the nose against neuralgia and headache[].
Pulped leaves are topically applied to wounds as a haemostatic. In Côte d’Ivoire vapours of a leaf decoction are inhaled to treat dizziness[].

A decoction of finely ground seeds, leafy twigs or roots is drunk or used as a wash or enema as an aphrodisiac. For sexual vigour, men eat a few seeds or ingest the powder directly or mixed with palm wine[].

The plant is also used against sleeplessness[].

Other Uses

A snake repellent is prepared from the pulped stem, mixed with clay and water and rubbed onto the body[].

Toothpicks are made from stems[].

A glue made from the fruit pulp is used in crafting[].

Propagation

Seed -

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