Grewia mollis

Grewia mollis is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical Africa, Yemen and Oman. It is the source of grewia gum, an edible polysaccharide mucilage, similar in its properties to tragacanth gum. It can be affected by a smut fungi, called Pericladium grewiae Pass., which was found on a plant in Eritrea.

Description

A shrub or tree. It is straggling in form and almost a climber. It grows up to 7 m tall. The bark is fibrous. The leaves are 8-17 cm long by 2.5-8.5 cm wide. The leaves are grey green on top. They are lighter underneath, and hairy. The edges of the leaves have teeth. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. The sepals are yellow and the petals pinkish. The fruit are round and hairy. They have 4 deep lobes. They are brown to black. They are 5-8 mm across.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit and flowers are eaten; flowers are dried for use in sauces. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. Ground bark is used for thickening soups, and the root ashes are used as cooking salt.

Traditional Uses

The flowers and ripe fruit are eaten. The flowers are dried and used in sauces. The ground bark is used for thickening soups. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. The ashes of the root is used as cooking salt.

Medicinal Uses

No medicinal uses mentioned in the data.

Known Hazards

Some reports suggest that a high concentration of the stem bark in dietary exposure may cause some adverse effects, especially liver injury

Distribution

A tropical plant. In Kenya it grows up to 1600 m altitude. It grows on dry soils. It tends to be in drier regions. It grows in savannah woodland. It grows in the Sahel. It can re-grow after fire. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 200-800 mm. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seed.

Propagation

Seed - we have no specific information for this species but seed of this genus is generally best sown as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!), allowing the mix to cool somewhat and then leaving it in a warm place to soak for 12 - 24 hours. Sow the seeds in situ or in a nursery seedbed or trays - do not allow the compost to become dry. Germination and early growth are usually quite quick. Cuttings - best taken with a heel.

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the bark. The bark is made into cordage. The stems are beaten, washed and then dried to make a sponge-like material that is used for washing the body. A bark maceration is applied to give a smooth surface to mud walls, floors and stoves. An infusion of the bark obtained by cold or hot maceration in water is used in beating mud floors in order to give a smooth surface, and can be mixed with the mud or the walls of huts in order to give a smooth surface there. A mucilage from the bark is used as a hardener for floors and walls. The leaves can be crushed, mixed with water and used as a shampoo against head lice. The pinkish wood is hard and very elastic. It is widely used locally for items such as house construction, bed frames, walking sticks, tool handles, clubs, bows and arrows, shields, spear shafts and whips. The wood is used for fuel and is made into charcoal.

Production

The fruit are collected at the end of the rainy season.

Other Information

It is cultivated in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Notes

There are about 200 Grewia species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit of most may be edible. These were in the Sparrmanniaceae and the Tiliaceae.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Awala, Basham, Betere mussie, Daiyta, Debi-ad, Dhebi, Ebusheni, Eparis, Epat, Ged-mured, Harroresssa, Kawat, Lomo, Mkolamakaa, Mkole, Mkoma, Moussannoum, Mpelemehe, Mussantiwamu, Nashem, Nogo nogo ba, Opobo, Ositeti, Pobo, Pogo, Qoriya, Sidiyot, Tema, Tsewayita, Umushamgumu, Yira

References (51)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 47
• Achigan-Dako, E, et al (Eds), 2009, Catalogue of Traditional Vegetables in Benin. International Foundation for Science.
• Acipa, A. et al, 2013, Nutritional Profile of some Selected Food Plants of Otwal and Ngai Counties, Oyam District, Northern Uganda. African Journal or Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. 13(2)
• Addis, G., Asfaw, Z & Woldu, Z., 2013, Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants of Konso Ethnic Community, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. 11:121-141
• Addis, G., et al, 2013, The Role of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants in Household Food Sovereignty in Hamer and Konso Communities, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 11:251-271

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