Common Name:

General Information

Strychnos decussata is a small to medium tree with a dense, multi-stemmed crown; it can grow 3 - 12 metres tall[]. The bole can be 30 - 45cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of timber.

Known Hazards

Various parts of Strychnos plants, especially the seeds and bark, contain toxic alkaloids such as strychnine and brucine. The fleshy pulp of the ripe fruits, however, is often edible[].
The bark and fruits are poisonous, especially when green[].

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Africa - Somalia to S. Africa.

Habitat

Rocky slopes and on stream banks[]. In woodlands, often near rocks, sometimes on river banks[]. In Madagascar it is often found in dry forests and bushes on limestone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Established plants are drought tolerant[].

Edible Uses

The pulp of ripe fruits is eaten raw[].

Medicinal

Although toxic, the roots and bark are used in traditional medicine as a treatment for stomach problems[].

Other Uses

The reddish-brown wood is rather coarse-grained, hard, heavy, strong, moderately elastic and tough[, ]. The wood is not durable, as it is liable to dry rot and gets worm-eaten[]. It is used for rural utensils, staves for coppers' works etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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