Common Name: Clearing Nut

General Information

Strychnos potatorum is a deciduous, much branched small or medium sized tree, or sometimes a shrub, growing around 4 - 18 metres tall[]. The bole can be up to 100cm in diameter[, ].
The plant has a variety of local medicinal uses and is also used locally to clarify water prior to drinking it. The seeds are harvested in large quantities from the wild and are sold as a water purifier in local markets[, ].

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 pounded fruits are used as fish poison[].
The crushed bark is used as a fish poison[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar. Tropical Africa - DR Congo to Tanzania, south to northern S. Africa, Madagascar

Habitat

In gallery forest, in Brachystegia woodland, semi evergreen bushland, often on river banks, on banks of dry riverbeds, or on termitaries from sea level to elevations of 1,600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A shade-bearing tree, growing up well under the canopy of deciduous forest[]. Established trees are very drought tolerant[].
The plant produces root suckers[].

Edible Uses

Young fruits - occasionally eaten raw or made into preserves when young[, , , ]. The pulp is eaten raw when ripe[, ]. They are an ingredient of 'Raja's Cup', an Ayurvedic coffee substitute[]. The fruit is a sub-globose berry 12 - 18mm in diameter with a firm
pericarp, black when ripe, containing 1 - 2 seeds in a whitish pulp[].

Medicinal

The pounded leaves are used to treat watering and aching eyes[]. A decoction is taken to treat epilepsy[]

The roots are aphrodisiac[]. The vapour of a root decoction is inhaled to treat colds and venereal diseases[].

A decoction of the roots and leaves is taken to treat cough[].

The seeds are used for the treatment of a range of complaints including those affecting the liver, kidneys and stomach; gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, bronchitis, chronic diarrhoea, strangury, kidney and bladder stones, diabetes and eye diseases[, ]. A decoction of the seeds is used as a treatment for stammering[].
The seeds are rubbed up with honev and a little camphor and the mixture applied to the eyes as a remedy for too copious lachryrnation. Rubbed up with water and rock salt, they are applied to chemoses (swellings) in the conjunctiva. They are also an ingredient of several complex applications for treating corneal ulcers[].

The fruit pulp, or the powdered, mature fruit is considered to be an effective emetic[].

The plant contains many monomeric and dimeric indole alkaloids, the root bark being especially rich.
The monoterpene alkaloid cantleyine, isolated from the root bark, has shown a relaxing effect on isolated tracheal smooth muscles and may be the active ingredient responsible for the anti-cough and anti-asthmatic activity[]. Normacusine B, a monomeric alkaloid of the corynanthe class, also found in Rauvolfia, Tabernaemontana and Vinca spp., is sympatholytic and its hypotensive activity is stronger than that of reserpine, which is commonly used against high blood pressure[].
The total alkaloid extracts of the seeds, bark and leaves showed strychnine-like activity in vivo, had marked hypotensive effect and exhibited a depressant action on isolated heart muscle[].
In-vivo tests using the seed powder and an aqueous extract of the seeds prevented ulcer formation by decreasing acid secretory activity and increasing the mucin activity[].
An aqueous extract of the seeds has shown significant hepatoprotective activity[].
A methanol extract of the seeds had a diuretic effect and an antidiarrhoeal activity on castor oil-induced diarrhoea[].

Other Uses

The cut seeds are rubbed around the insides of a rough earthenware vessel and water is then placed in the vessel. This causes most of the impurities in the water to sink to the bottom after a while so that the clean(er!) water can be poured off[, ].
The seeds contain polyelectrolytes which can be used as coagulants to clarify turbid waters[]. In laboratory tests, direct filtration of turbid surface water with the seeds as a coagulant, produced a substantial improvement in its aesthetic and microbiological quality[].

The yellowish-grey wood has conspicuous white markings. It has no heartwood, and no annual rings. It is close-grained, very hard and termite resistant, but splits easily and is therefore not suitable for carving. It seasons well and is used to make carts, shafts, agricultural implements, tool handles etc[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - the seedling quickly produces a soft, delicate taproot so the seed should be sown in deep, individual containers or in situ[].
Cuttings of half ripe wood[].
Root suckers.

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