Terminalia prunioides

Terminalia prunioides, the purple-pod cluster-leaf or purple-pod terminalia, is a small African tree in the family Combretaceae. It is native to the eastern and south-central parts of the continent.

Description

A bushy shrub and also a medium sized tree. It grows 5-15 m tall. It can have a girth of 1.5 m. It can have one or many stems. The bark is light grey and ribbed along its length. The branches hang over. The short twigs point upwards and at right angles to the branches. The leaves and flowers are crowded at the ends of the small branches. The bark on the twigs strips off in short lengths. The leaves are small. They are 1.3-5 cm long by 2.5 cm across. They are oval and often widest in the upper half and taper to the base. The leaves are dark green on the upper surface and lighter green and hairy underneath. The flowers are small and starry. They are white with a puff of yellow stamens. They are in lax spikes at the ends of short branches. They have a strong scent. The fruit are 3.5-5 cm long and oval. The seed in the thickened centre is surrounded by a tough flat wing. They turn deep wine red when ripe.

Edible Uses

The gum exuded from the tree is edible. The fresh leaves and young twigs are used for tea. The seeds are eaten raw, ground for coffee (boiled with milk and sugar), or used whole. The ripe fruit are eaten as a dessert fruit or brewed as tea.

Traditional Uses

The gum exuded from the tree is edible. The young twigs are boiled in water to make tea. The fresh leaves are used for tea. The seeds are used for coffee. They are ground and boiled with milk and sugar. The seeds are eaten raw. The fruit are eaten as a desert fruit. They are also used as a tea.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used in traditional medicine across its range. In Somalia, a decoction is taken to relieve postnatal abdominal pains. The bark is chewed to treat coughs, sore throats, and stomach-aches, while the roots are chewed to treat colds. Research has shown that leaf extracts of T. prunioides possess significant antifungal activity against pathogens such as Microsporum canis, which causes ringworm and other dermatophyte infections.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in frost free areas. It likes shade. It can grow on sandy or stony soils. It grows naturally in low altitude open woodland and scrub. It occurs on rocky slopes and deep alluvial soils of low altitude rivers. It is very drought resistant. It grows between 30-1,400 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Central Africa, Djibouti, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds germinate easily. It is best to remove the wings and then soak the seeds for a few hours before sowing. Seeds germinate in about 3 weeks.

Propagation

Seed - viability can be maintained for at least 1 year in hermetic storage at 3°c.

Other Uses

The rotten heartwood is sometimes pulverized and used as a fragrance for cosmetic purposes. The yellow wood is heavy, very hard, tough and exceptionally durable, even in salty water where it resists borers. It is used to make tool handles, fence posts, house building, dhow keels and wagon axles. The wood makes a good fuel and an excellent charcoal. The leaves are used as a green manure.

Production

It can grow to about 6 m in 15 years. They flower in spring and summer.

Notes

There are about 200-250 Terminalia species. They are tropical.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Blutfruchtbaum, Chachandau, Codoni, Hareeri, Lowveld cluster-leaf, Mochara, Ohama, Omuhama, Sterkbos, Tiyeeg, Tsamanate

References (16)

• Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 20
• Lee, 1979,
• Mahony, D., 1991, Trees of Somalia. A Field Guide for Development Workers. Oxfam Research Paper 3. p 9
• Magwede, K., van Wyk, B.-E., & van Wyk, A. E., 2019, An inventory of Vhavenḓa useful plants. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 57–89
• D. Oliver, Fl. trop. Afr. 2:415. 1871

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