Common Name:

General Information

Urera hypselodendron is a semi-succulent, climbing shrub producing stems that can be from 3 - 25 metres or more long. The plant usually climbs into the surrounding vegetation, attaching itself by means of numerous adventitious roots[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of fibre. Although usually collected from the wild, in Tanzania and DR Congo there are some local initiatives to domesticate it as a vegetable[].

Known Hazards

The plant is usually armed with stinging hairs, especially on the inflorescences[, ].

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Eritrea, Ethiopia, southern Sudan, Uganda, E. DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Common in clearings of rain-forest and dry evergreen forest; along forest edges; riverine or ravine forests; sometimes climbing on isolated trees left in farmland; at elevations from 1,000 - 2,950 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	20.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The leaf is eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The stem bark is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of impetigo[].

Liquid from the stem is used as a tonic for pregnant women[].
A decoction of the stem is mixed with milk and drunk by pregnant women with abdominal pain[].

A decoction of the leaf is taken as a purgative. The leaves are chewed as an antivenin against snake bites, or the bite is rubbed with a maceration of the whole plant[].

Other Uses

A strong, black fibre is obtained from the stem bark. It is used for making string and as sewing thread to stitch up gourds for holding milk. It is also used for making fishing nets and lines[, ].
To obtain the fibre, the bark is dried and crumpled well, and the fibre is taken out[].

The stem is used for basketry[].

Propagation

Seed - the optimum temperature for germination is 25°c[].

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