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Useful Tropical Plants

Uapaca mole

Pax

Phyllanthaceae

+ Synonyms

Uapaca angustipyrena De Wild.

Uapaca brevipedunculata De Wild.

Uapaca casteelsii De Wild.

Uapaca ealaensis De Wild.

Uapaca ferrarii De Wild.

Uapaca kibuati De Wild.

Uapaca laurentii De Wild.

Uapaca lebrunii De Wild.

Uapaca macrostipulata De Wild.

Uapaca multinervata De Wild.

Uapaca paludosa Aubrév. & Leandri

Uapaca samfii De Wild.

Uapaca stipularis Pax & K.Hoffm.

Uapaca vanderystii De Wild.

Uapaca verruculosa De Wild.

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Uapaca mole is an evergreen tree with a dense, low-branching, rounded crown; it can grow up to 40 metres tall, though usually much smaller and occasionally no more than a shrub. The straight bole is fluted, about 60cm in diameter and is usually on stilt roots that can be up to 6 metres high[
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.
,
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
,
965
Title
Uapaca (Phyllanthaceae) in the Guineo-Congolian forest region: a synoptic revision
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 146 (1) 75 - 94
Author
Breteler F. J.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2013.770
Publisher
Royal Botanical Society of Belgium
Year
2013
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A revision of the west African members of the genus Uapaca
].
A popular wild fruit, the tree is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, medicines and wood. It is also sometimes planted to provide shade[
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

965
Title
Uapaca (Phyllanthaceae) in the Guineo-Congolian forest region: a synoptic revision
Publication
Plant Ecology and Evolution 146 (1) 75 - 94
Author
Breteler F. J.
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.2013.770
Publisher
Royal Botanical Society of Belgium
Year
2013
ISBN
2032-3913
Description
A revision of the west African members of the genus Uapaca

Range

Tropical Africa - Liberia to Cameroon, DR Congo and Uganda, south to northern Angola and Tanzania.

Habitat

Swamp and lakeside forest, fringing forest and rainforest, on slopes and crests as well as in well-drained valley bottoms, at elevations up to 1,400 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

Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height15.00 m
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low to moderate elevations in the moist tropics.

The tree responds well to pollarding and coppicing[
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.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seeds are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit[
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.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The ripe, yellow pulp has a taste like avocados (Persea americana), and is a popular wild snack[
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.
,
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. The ripe fruit can be squeezed into juice and drunk before or after being cooled[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. The green to brown fruit is an ovoid to globose drupe 25 - 30mm × 15 - 20mm[
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.
].

Medicinal

A root infusion is used to treat headache caused by fever. Painful parts are embrocated with the crushed roots to ease the pain. A root infusion is considered expectorant and taken to treat a blocked nose, pulmonary afflictions, flu with headache, fever and fever-pains - the body is also massaged with the lees of the infusion[
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.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

A root bark or stem bark decoction is drunk to treat female sterility, dysentery and food-poisoning. It is also used as a mouth wash to treat toothache, as a vapour bath to treat rheumatism and oedema, as an enema to treat piles and in baths to strengthen rachitic and premature children[
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.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Pulped leaves or stem bark with palm oil are applied to furuncles to mature them; to treat migraine and rheumatism; and are used as a massage on children who are late in learning to walk[
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.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Other Uses

The sapwood is pinkish white; the heartwood is darker and shiny when sawn[
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 wood is used as timber for general purposes, boxes, crates and for making domestic utensils such as spoons and cups[
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
,
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The wood is used for fuel and making charcoal[
364
Title
Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania.
Publication
 
Author
Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D
Website
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm
Publisher
Frontier
Year
0
ISBN
1-873070-33-0
Description
A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet.
,
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
We do not have any more information for the wood of this species. However, a general description for the wood of the West African, stilt-rooted members of this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is a pale red, red-brown, or chocolate-brown; it is usually not clearly demarcated from the paler sapwood. The texture is mostly medium to coarse; the grain generally straight; there is little lustre. The heartwood ranges from moderately durable to highly so, and is moderately resistant to termite attack. Generally care is required in seasoning, best results are obtained if quartersawn, logs should be converted soon after extraction to minimize shake
and checking. The wood saws with some difficulty due to a high silica content, it generally finishes well and glues satisfactorily. It is used for purposes such as light construction, boatbuilding, flooring[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Uapaca+mole>

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