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Useful Tropical Plants

Searsia tenuinervis

(Engl.) Moffett

Anacardiaceae


There has been considerable uncertainty amongst botanists as to the best way of treating the genus Searsia, with some viewing it as a genus distinct from Rhus, whilst others see insufficient differences and place it as a subgenus of Rhus. There seems to be a growing acceptance that Searsia is distinct and it is treated thus here.

+ Synonyms

Rhus amboensis Schinz

Rhus commiphoroides Engl. & Gilg

Rhus kwebensis N.E.Br.

Rhus tenuinervis Engl.

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Searsia tenuinervis is a much-branched, sometimes thorny shrub or can become a rounded bushy tree; it grows from 1 - 8 metres tall[
308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.

Range

Eastern and Southern Africa - Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, S. Africa.

Habitat

Wooded grassland and bushland, especially on rocky slopes, hardly in miombo; white sand soils; termite mounds; river banks; gravelly stations, Brachystegia woodland; open savannah with Albizia, Acacia; at elevations from 690 - 2,000 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height4.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw[
729
Title
Traditional African Vegetables
Publication
 
Author
Guarino L. (Editor)
Publisher
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute; Rome, Italy.
Year
1995
ISBN
92-9043-322-1
Description
The proceedings of the IPGRI International Workshop on Genetic Resources of Traditional Vegetables in Africa: Conservation and Use 29-31 August 1995, ICRAF-HQ, Nairobi, Kenya
]. The crushed leaves have a strong, distinctive smell. They are sour and are chewed like khat (Catha edulis)[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Seed - raw[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
]. The fruits are stripped off the branches, rubbed in the hands for a while, and after the dry seed shells are blown away, the remaining seeds are eaten[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is used in the treatment of chest pains and severe coughing[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].
The grated outer layer of the root is rubbed into skin incisions in the cheek to treat toothache[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].

A decoction of the bark is taken in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea[
776
Title
An Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used to Manage HIV/AIDS Opportunistic Infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi Region
Publication
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2010, 6:25
Author
Chinsembu K.C.; Hedimbi M.
Website
http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/6/1/25/table/T1
Publisher
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Year
2010
ISBN
 
Description
Medicinal herbs used in the treatment of AIDS-related health conditions. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

The roots are very hard when dry and are used for carving arrowheads and arrow joints[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-14. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Searsia+tenuinervis>

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