Common Name: Cape Hard Pear

General Information

Strychnos henningsii is a much-branched, shrub or small tree with a compact crown; usually growing 2 - 12 metres tall but with some specimens up to 20 metres. The bole can be 40 - 50cm in diameter[, , ].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local medicinal use - some of the compounds in the plant are extracted for commercial use. The physical attributes of the plants shiny foliage, pleasant shade and fragrant flowers make it a suitable choice for an ornamental[].

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 contains a poisonous bitter alkaloid causing paralysis. Despite this, the plant still has significant medicinal uses[].
The stem bark and roots are used to poison rats and mice, and sometimes also for criminal purposes[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Southern Africa - Angola, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Madagascar.

Habitat

Dry or moist forests, wooded hillsides, evergreen thickets on rocky hills, coastal forests and stream banks, at elevations from 340 - 2,000 metres. It is often associated with Olea and Podocarpus spp[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	8.00 m
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Found at elevations from 340 - 2,000 metres[].

The trees respond well to coppicing and often sucker freely[].
The flowers are hermaphrodite, but the plant reproduces cleistogamously (without being fertilized) in some localities[]
The flowers are aromatic[].

Edible Uses

The plant is added to soups to act as a general tonic[]. The plant is used in the preparation of fatty-meat and milk soups[].

The pulp of ripe fruits is eaten raw[].

Medicinal

The plant is added to soups to act as a general tonic[].

A decoction of the branches, taken in a soup, is used to treat rheumatism and gynaecological complaints[].
A stem decoction is taken to treat malaria[].

A decoction of the roots is taken to treat chest pain and internal injuries[]. The fresh roots are chewed to treat snakebites[]. The pounded roots are taken in food to treat hookworm infections[].

The bark is anthelmintic and purgative[]. An extract or decoction is taken in small doses to treat colic, nausea, stomach-ache, intestinal worms in children and dizziness[].

The ground bark is used externally as a mouth antiseptic and is applied onto wounds in cattle and horses to hasten healing[].

The plant is rich in monomeric indole alkaloids. Those in the stem bark have shown convulsive, hypotensive and cardiac depressant activities, due to their effect on the central nervous system, and have anti-cancer potential[].
The alkaloids holstiine and holstiline, found in the stem bark, showed weak to moderate antimalarial activity against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum but did not show antiamoebic activity[].
The plant has potential in the development of new antinociceptive and antispasmodic drugs[].

Agroforestry Uses:

An important species for protecting soils from water erosion in highland areas, it is also a locally important shade tree[].
The plant is used as a live fence, whilst its poles are also good for fencing[].

Other Uses

The brown to dark grey wood is heavy, hard, durable, termite resistant and easily split[, ]. A valued timber, it is used for fencing, hut poles, making spokes, axe and pick handles[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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