Common Name:

General Information

Zanthoxylum davyi is a tree growing from 8 - 30 metres tall[]. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical, up to 60cm in diameter, armed with conspicuous thorny bosses[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and timber.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeastern Africa - Zimbabwe, S. Africa.

Habitat

Forests and forest patches at elevations from 160 - 1,900 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The stem bark is used to treat cough, cold, boils, pleurisy, toothache and snakebites[].

The prickles are applied to infected wounds[].

The leaves are used to treat chest pain and as a poultice to heal sores[].

The roots are tonic and aphrodisiac[]. It is used to treat mouth ulcers and sore throat[].

The stem bark yielded 5 benzophenanthridine alkaloids. One of these, chelerythrine, is well known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties[].
Crude stem extracts showed pronounced antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Salmonella typhi and Streptococcus pyogenes, but no activity against Staphylococcus aureus[].

Other Uses

The prickle-bearing protuberances on the bole have been used by children as toys, and have also been made into pipes[].

The heartwood is pale greyish brown, often with greenish markings, fairly distinctly demarcated from the greyish sapwood. The texture is fine and even; growth rings are distinct. The wood is heavy, strong and elastic; only moderately durable and susceptible to Lyctus attack[]. It is fairly easy to saw and work in spite of its hardness; the polishing, gluing and bending properties are satisfactory[]. The wood is used for handles, walking sticks and fishing rods. It is suitable for heavy construction, heavy flooring, joinery, interior trim, vehicle bodies, furniture, cabinet work, mine props, ladders, sporting goods, agricultural implements, toys, novelties, musical instruments, boxes, crates and turnery[].

Propagation

Seed -

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