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Useful Tropical Plants

Sparrmannia ricinocarpa

(Eckl. & Zeyh.) Kuntze

Malvaceae


Sparrmannia is a taxonomically difficult genus with an uncertain number of species, but with at least 2 species in mainland Africa and 2 in Madagascar. Sparrmannia macrocarpa and Sparrmannia subpalmata are considered here as being synonyms of Sparrmannia ricinocarpa, but some authors consider them distinct species[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

+ Synonyms

Sparrmannia abyssinica Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Sparrmannia macrocarpa Ulbr.

Sparrmannia palmata E.Mey. ex Harv.

Sparrmannia subpalmata Baker

Urena ricinocarpa Eckl. & Zeyh.

Common Name:

Sparrmannia ricinocarpa
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Bart Wursten
Creative Commons License
Sparrmannia ricinocarpa Sparrmannia ricinocarpa Sparrmannia ricinocarpa

General Information

Sparrmannia ricinocarpa is a much-branched perennial plant with slender stems that become more or less woody. It can grow up to 3 metres tall, sometimes adopting a scrambling habit of growth[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of fibre.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Africa - Nigeria, Angola; eastern Africa from Eritrea, Ethiopia, south to S. Africa, Madagascar.

Habitat

Edges, clearings in forest, secondary forest and scrub; grassland with bush-clumps and with patches of Arundinaria and Hagenia; persisting in hedges and in Eucalyptus plantations; gallery forest; savannah; fallow; at elevations 1,200 - 3,300 metres[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitShrub
Height2.00 m
PollinatorsBees
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



Plants can flower all year round[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark yields a good fibre that is locally used for making rope and textiles[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. It has been beaten on a mallet to obtain bark-cloth[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. As technology evolved, fibres were extracted by crushing the bark, after which they were combed or scutched, making them suitable for spinning and weaving[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings of the previous season's growth[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sparrmannia+ricinocarpa>

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