Common Name:

General Information

Warburgia ugandensis is an evergreen tree with a spreading, rounded crown; it can vary widely in height from 5 - 42 metres[]. The straight bole is usually short, unbranched for about 3 metres and about 70cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, food flavouring, insecticide, wood etc. It is sometimes grown as a shade-providing ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, eastern DR Congo, Malawi

Habitat

Lowland rain-forest, upland dry evergreen forest and its relics in secondary bushland and grassland; termite-hills in swamp forest; at elevations from 800 - 2,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations from 800 - 2,400 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 14 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 32°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 2,000mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a fertile, loamy to clayey soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[]. Plants can tolerate occasionally waterlogging[].
A fairly slow-growing tree, but once established it is hardy and coppicing can be practised[].
The bark smells of sandalwood[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. A hot peppery taste[, ]. The purplish, globose fruit can be 3 - 5cm in diameter with a leathery skin[].

The leaves and seeds are sometimes used to add flavour to curries. A hot, peppery taste[, ].

Medicinal

The dried bark is commonly used as a remedy for stomach-ache, constipation, toothache, cough, fever, muscle pains, weak joints, general body pains and stomach worms[, ].
The inner bark is reddish, bitter and has a peppery flavour. It is used in the treatment of a variety of conditions including the common cold. Dried and ground to a snuff, it is used to clear sinuses[] It can be chewed, or the smoke from the burning bark inhaled, as a remedy for chest complaints[].

The fresh roots are boiled and mixed with soup for the prevention of diarrhoea[].

Bathing with a leaf decoction is used as a cure for several unspecified skin diseases[].

The bark, roots or leaves can be boiled in water and the decoction drunk to treat malaria, but this causes violent vomiting[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Fallen leaves provide green manure and mulch[].

Other Uses

The heartwood contains sesquiterpenoids that can be used against army worms, which are widely occurring African crop pests[].
The heartwood contains novel sesquiterpenoids such as bemadienolide, cinnamide, drimenol, muzigadial, polygodial, warburganal, warburgiadione, warburgin, ugandensidial and ugandensolide. These compounds exhibit antifeedant activity against army worm (Spodoptera littoralis and S. exepta), widely occurring African crop pests. The antifeedant activities of warburganal and muzigadial are comparable. These two compounds belong to the strongest group of anti-feedants against African army worm found so far. In addition, they exhibit very potent antifungal, antiyeast and plant-growth regulating activity[].

A resin obtained from the stem is used as a glue[, ].

The wood makes good timber for building and making furniture[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[]. It has a high oil content and burns well with an incense-like smell[].


Heartwood yellow or greenish, becoming brown on exposure; very fragrant when freshly cut, the scent somewhat resembling that of sandalwood. Good timber for building and furniture, but not termite resistant. It saws easily, planes well and takes a high polish, but it is not durable and is liable to split on nailing. The wood somewhat resembles teak and shows a satin lustre; its fragrance persists over 4 years of storage. Milling of the wood gives rise to a dust that is very fragrant and causes sneezing[].

Propagation

Seed -

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