Philenoptera nelsii
(Schinz) Schrire
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Description
A shrub or small tree. It grows 12 m tall. It is round at the top. The bark is rough and grey. The small branches are hairy. The leaves have one leaflet. It is leathery and stiff. They are 16 cm long by 9 cm wide. The flowering shoots are 30 cm long. The pod is narrow and 10 cm long by 2 cm wide. There are 1-4 seeds.
Edible Uses
The bark is used to curdle milk.
Traditional Uses
The bark is used to curdle milk.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The bark is antitussive and pectoral. A decoction is drunk in the treatment of chest ailments and severe or persistent coughing. The root is antitussive and pectoral. A decoction is drunk in the treatment of chest ailments and severe or persistent coughing. The leaves are chewed to treat a bad cold.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Namibia*, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Other Uses
Pencil-sized branches are used as chew sticks for cleaning the teeth and maintaining oral hygeine. The wood is sometimes used to make household utensils such as spoons.
Synonyms
References (4)
- Kew Plants of the World Online
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 59
- van Wyk, Ben-Erik, 2019, The diversity and multiple uses of southern African legumes. Australian Systematic Botany, 2019, 32, 519–546
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
