Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Common Names —
Pigeon hood
Family —
Ulmaceae
African Names —
Twi (Ashanti, Wassaw, Fante, Bron): sesea; Nzema: seazealeba: Baule: aisle;
Anyi: sekye, somobra; Ew: wadzawadza; Bini: ehuogo; Igbo: telem-ugwu; Swahili: mpesi; Kikiyu:
mupethu, muhethu; Teita: mwesu; Meru: muethu; Kispigi: poponet; Kakamega (Tiriki): musakala;
Tavata: mbaranyungu; Bemba: mutumpu; Kaonde: kambombo; Nyanya: mehinde; Tonga: mululwe;
Yoruba: afafe
Description —
Trema guineensis
is a shrub or short-lived small tree that grows up to 15 m high,
with smooth, light gray bark. The slash is creamy white to light yellow, fibrous, and bright green
immediately beneath the bark. The leaves are small (4-7 mm long), simple, alternate, and stipulate
and shed easily. The blade is oblong-lanceolate, 20 cm long, 1.2-7.2 cm wide, apex acuminate,
unequally rounded or slight cordate at the base, with margins finely and regularly serrate along the
entire length, glossy dark green above and dull paler green below; venation is depressed above and
more or less prominent below. The flowers appear February-August and are small, polygamous,
mostly male with a few female or hermaphrodite flowers at the apex. The fruits occur as dark
purple, glabrous drupes, that turn black over time; they are thinly fleshy, ovoid to globose, and 3-6
mm in diameter, with the remains of styles often persistent.
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Habitat and Distribution —
In Ivory Coast and parts of Ghana, an aqueous decoction of the
bark is used as a remedy for cough, bronchial congestion, and asthma. The bark is also used as a
vermifuge and for the treatment of dysentery and yellow fever. A gargle prepared from the bark and
leaves has been used for sore throat, toothache, and mouth infections. The plant has a bitter taste
and has been administered for its antispasmodic activity in severe stomachache. The leaf extract
is administered to dogs as an anthelmintic. Tender leaves and those of
Amaralia sherbourniae
are
used in the preparation of soup taken at sunset in Liberia for female infertility.
9
Constituents —
The species has been shown to contain octacosanoic acid and 1-octacosanyl
acetate (0.006%), β-sitosterol, triterpenic alcohols, and ketones such as simiarenol (3β-hydroxy-
friedohop-5-ene) (0.003%), episimiarenol, simiarenone (0.04%), and trematol.
1035
Co-occurring
with these compounds are some saponins and condensed tannins.
Pharmacological Studies —
Laboratory studies on the species showed that intravenous injec-
tion in dogs produced progressive and prolonged hypotension.
9
It was also reported as toxic to mice
at a dose of 2.50 g but was nontoxic to fish.9
9
It has CNS activity
1039
and may have some potential
benefit in the management of epilepsy.
1040
TRICHILIA EMETICA
Botanical Name —
Trichilia emetica
Va h l.
Synonyms —
Trichilia umbrifera
Swynn.,
Trichilia somalensis
C h iov.,
Trichilia grotei
Harms.,
Trichilia roka
C h iov.,
Trichilia jubensis
C h iov.
Family —
Meliaceae
African Names —
Arabic: safsafa; Ashanti: chele, yofunosi, kisiga, asabrabise; Bari: korillon;
Hausa: jan saiwa; Dinka: apolgum; Igbo: ubenwenwe (
T. lanata
); Tigre: gumeh; Yemen: roqah,
rugah, rogah, roka; Somali: goro-mas; Kilia: mukeko, mukeka; Cinyanja: msikitsi, mwavi; Chindao:
musikdidzi, musikiri, misikiri; Singuni: nkhulu or umkuhlu; Swaziland: mhisi; Swahili: miti-mai,
mnwamaji, mnwamai; Kikuyu: mururi; Tswana: tsandi, mosikiri; Xhosa: umkhulu; Kamasia: sor-
get, sok; Meru: musunui; Kisi: omenyakige; Bemba: mushikishi; Lozi (Tonga): musikili; Nyanya:
msikizi; Diola: bouriete; Mandigo: queco; Yoruba: ashapa; Zulu: vungu, umkhulu
Description —
Trichilia emetica
is a small deciduous or evergreen tree 2-30 m high and up to
90 cm in diameter. The bark is gray to brown, smooth to rough, and the twigs are corky. It has deep
reddish-pink slash becoming brownish and paler inward and colorless or off-white later. The leaves
