Strychnos innocua

Description

A small or medium sized tree. It grows up to 13 m high. The trunk is straight. The bark is smooth and green or yellow, and powdery. The small branches are stout and smooth and also powdery. They are often twisted and hang downwards. The leaves are simple and occur in opposite pairs. They are widely spaced apart. They have short leaf stalks. They are oval and 3-15 cm long by 2-9 cm wide. The leaves are wedge shaped at the base and leathery. They tend to be wider at the rounded tip. They can have fine hairs underneath. The veins are fine and net like. The flowers are green or yellow and in the axils of leaves. They are 8 mm long. Mostly 2-4 flowers occur in stalked clusters. Fruit are round and 6-10 cm across. They have a hard peel. They are bluish-green when young and turn yellow or orange when ripe. There are many seeds imbedded in a yellow pulp. The seeds are 4 sided and yellow. They are 1.5 cm across and very hard. The ripe fruit pulp is edible.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit pulp is eaten fresh, dried and stored after removing seeds, or mixed in water to make a drink. The leaves are cooked and eaten.

Traditional Uses

The fruit pulp is eaten. It is also dried and stored after the seeds are removed. It is inside a hard fruit case. The fruit pulp is also put in water to make a drink. The leaves are cooked and eaten. CAUTION: Many Loganiaceae are very poisonous. The seeds are poisonous.

Medicinal Uses

Traditional uses include consumption of the fruit pulp and cooked leaves.

Known Hazards

Various parts of Strychnos plants, especially the seeds and bark, contain toxic alkaloids such as strychnine and brucine. The fleshy pulp of the ripe fruits, however, is often edible.

Distribution

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows from sea level to 1,400 m altitude in Tanzania. It grows naturally in areas with a rainfall of 600 to 1,000 mm annually. The places have 60 to 100 rainy days per year. The temperature ranges are 17°C to 29°C. The relative humidity is from 45 to 80%. These areas have dry lowland forest. Trees need to be in sunny locations. It grows in open woodland and rocky hills. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Miombo woodland.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed or root cuttings. The seed does not germinate easily due to the hard seed coat. If roots are damaged they shoot and can be replanted. When trees are felled new shoots arise and these can be used. Seeds should be sown directly where they are to grow. The stone should be cracked to assist the seed to grow. Seed should be sown as soon as collected. Trees can be pruned or topped.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. The seed can be stored for up to 2 months with no loss of viability.

Other Uses

A mixture of ground roots and oil is rubbed on the skin as a fly repellent. Small branches are used for toothbrushes and toothpicks. An oil obtained from the fruit pulp and seeds is used in making soap. The cream or pale yellow hardwood is inclined to split. The wood is used for making tool handles, other small items and building poles. The tree provides an excellent firewood that burns even when wet.

Production

Fruit remain on the tree and are picked when ripe. Flowers occur in August to January and fruit are ripe in July to December. It takes about one year from flower fertilization to fruit ripening.

Other Information

Fruit are sold in markets in East Africa. The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Notes

The wood burns very easily.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Akwalakwala, Alingkwalo, Booka, Bunkundu, Dong gud, Ekwakwalet, Ekwalakwala, Eturugugut, Eturukuku, Gankoro, Glogbandon, Gum akon, Hog el fil, Jailjeko, Kahongohongo, Kakomekome, Kulegan, Lakwakwalo, Lkwalo kwalo, Locomin, Madonga, Mahongo kome, Mangurungundu, Mbaya, Mgulugulu, Mkaye, Mkingi, Mkulwa, Mkwakwa, Mngulungulu, Mpundu, Mtonga, Mtongatonga, Mucuacua, Mukolonkolo, Mukomekome, Munkolo, Munkolokolo, Muzilakiala, Ngaja, Nzilakiala, Okuakwala, Olemba, Oola, Ugugee, Ugugia, Umbukesia, Urungu, Yual potiga

References (52)

• 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 48
• 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)
• Anywar, G., et al, 2014, Wild Plants Used as Nutraceuticals from Nebbi District, Uganda. European Journal of medicinal Plants. 4(6):641-660
• Balemie, K., & Kebebew, F., 2006, Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Derashe and Kucha Districts, South Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2:53

More from Loganiaceae

Strychnos cathayensis

Strychnos cocculoides

Kaffir orange, Caper orange

Strychnos congolana

Strychnos decussata

Cape teak, Chaka's wood

Strychnos erichsonii

Big devildoer

Strychnos icaja