Anthocleista procera
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Anthocleista procera |
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| Lepr. ex Bureau |
Anthocleista procera is a species of the genus Anthocleista within the gentian family (Gentianaceae). Some Anthocleista species have the common English names "Cabbage Tree" or "Candelabrum Tree". The species is common in West Africa.
description
Appearance and leaf
Anthocleista procera grows as a small to medium-sized tree and reaches heights of up to 20 meters and trunk diameters of up to 50 cm. There are no thorns on the branches (different from Anthocleista djalonensis ).
The opposite leaves have no petiole, so they are sitting. The large, simple, leathery or paper-like, brittle, eyed leaf blade is oblong-inverted at a length of 40 to 45 cm, in young plants up to 145 cm and a width of about 20 cm, in young plants up to 45 cm -ovoid to obovate-lanceolate with a wedge-shaped base, rounded upper end and a smooth or tiny notched edge.
Inflorescence and flower
In a terminal, upright, dichasial, zymous inflorescence , which has a length of 30 to 60 cm, many flowers stand together. The inflorescence stem and the inflorescence axes thickened at their branches are light green.
The hermaphroditic flowers are radial symmetry . The four free sepals are circular to broadly ovate with a length of 9 to 10 mm and a width of 7 to 8 mm. The approximately nine white petals are fused into a 10 to 15 mm long, cylindrical corolla tube. The approximately nine corolla lobes are elongated with a length of 10 to 15 mm with a blunt end. There is only the outer circle with about nine stamens ; these protrude from the corolla tube. The stamens are fused. The upper, four-chamber ovary is about 7 mm long and about 3.5 mm in diameter and is obovate to cylindrical. The obovate-cylindrical scar is slightly notched at the top.
Fruit and seeds
The many-seeded berry is about 3 cm long and about 2 cm in diameter ellipsoidal with a rounded top. The thick fruit skin is shiny, light green. The dark brown seeds are about 1.5 to 2 mm in length and 1 to 1.5 mm × about 1 mm in diameter obliquely ovoid-spherical.
Occurrence
The West African distribution area of Anthocleista procera stretches from Senegal to Nigeria . Anthocleista procera thrives in open, mostly swampy locations at low altitudes.
Taxonomy
The first description of Anthocleista procera was in 1856 by François Mathias René Leprieur in Thèse Loganiac , pp. 74–77, f. 60-62. A homonym is Anthocleista procera A. Chev. published by Auguste Jean Baptiste Chevalier in Exploration Botanique de l'Afrique Occidentale Française ... , 1920, p. 441. A synonym for Anthocleista procera Lepr. ex Bureau is Anthocleista frezoulsii A.Chev.
use
Anthocleista procera is used in many ways in its area of distribution. Plant parts are used in traditional medicine as a strong laxative and a diuretic ( diuretic used). A root decoction ( decoction ) is often used to treat constipation and regulate menstrual problems and used as an abortifacient. It was used for washing and bathing in leprosy , venereal diseases, edema and scrotal elephantiasis . A decoction of the bark is used against fever and as a laxative stomach remedy ( Stomachikum ). A decoction of the seeds and bark is a powerful laxative and should be used with great caution. The pulp made from sun-dried bark mixed with palm oil is used to treat intestinal problems. In Senegal, the leaf juice is given into nostrils to induce sneezing as a treatment for colds. A leaf decoction is used in face washes to treat dizziness. The leaves are used as packaging material.
swell
- A. de Ruijter: Anthocleista procera Lepr. ex Bureau in Prota 11 (1): Medicinal plants / Plantes médicinales 1 at PROTA = Plant Resources of Tropical Africa .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g A. de Ruijter: Anthocleista procera Lepr. ex Bureau in Prota 11 (1): Medicinal plants / Plantes médicinales 1 at PROTA = Plant Resources of Tropical Africa .
- ↑ Anthocleista procera at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ↑ Ethnobotany of gentians at Gentian Research Network . last accessed on December 11, 2012
Web links
- Entry at JSTOR
- Anthocleista procera . In: U. Brunken, M. Schmidt, S. Dressler, T. Janssen, A. Thiombiano, G. Zizka: West African plants - A Photo Guide. Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main 2008.