Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
drugs such as caffeine and theophylline should be advised of the potential herb-drug interaction to
reduce therapeutic failure or increased toxicity of conventional drug therapy.
197
Commerce —
Andrographis paniculata
is a global article of commerce. The whole drug and
isolated compounds are used in the production of many proprietary phytomedicines.
Agriculture —
The plant is not cultivated commercially in Africa. A successful trial cultivation
of
A. paniculata
was done in the Bioresources Institute of Nigeria in collaboration with the Natural
Remedies Company of India. It was found that the Nigerian cultivar had a good yield of androgra-
pholide, which suggests that the crop can be grown commercially in Africa.
ANTHOCLEISTA NOBILIS
Botanical Name —
Anthocleista nobilis
G. Don
Synonyms —
A. parviflora
Baker.,
A. macrophylla
G. Don
Family —
Gentianaceae
Common Names —
Carbage tree, cabbage palm
African Names —
Fante: hororoho; Twi (Ashanti): awudifoakete, bontodi
Description —
Anthocleista nobilis
is a tall tree, growing up to 20 m high, 50-90 cm wide. The
bark is light gray and smooth, with the bole free of branches for up to 15 m nestled with a small crown
with ascending hollow branches. It has a cream-yellow and granular slash. The leaf axils accommo-
date twigs with two divergent spines. The leaves appear to be crowded at the apices of the branchlets,
opposite, subequal, sessile, or shortly petiolate. An FAO monograph of this species showed that the
petioles are up to one-sixth as long as the blade; the blade is oblong elliptic, obovate-elliptic, or oblon-
cheolate, up to 6.5-12 cm long, 4-12 cm wide, larger on young trees, discolorous, dark green above,
glaucous below.
33
It produces erect hermaphrodite flowers, with branched, terminal cymes, 12-16
cm long, borne on conspicuously long peduncles with the stamens attached to the corolla tube and
protruding. Fruits occur as dark brown ellipsoid berries 2-2.5 cm in diameter with persistent calyx
and contain many seeds. The plant appears to produce flowers most times of the year.
9,28,33
Habitat and Distribution —
Anthocleista
inhabits transitional and secondary forests. It can
be found dotted in semidecidous forests and semisavanna regions. It is reported as preferring well-
drained soils, a rainfall of between 1100 and 2000 mm a year, and a temperature not exceeding
35°C. It generally prefers low-lying ground not exceeding 300 m above sea level but can occur up
to 1200 m.
37
It occurs in the West Coast in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast,
Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria.
