Securidaca longipedunculata

Securidaca longipedunculata

 This is a tropical plant found almost everywhere across the continent with different uses in every part of Africa. In Tanzania, the dried bark and root are used as a laxative for nervous system disorders, with one cup of the mixture being taken daily for two weeks.

In East Africa, dried leaves from the plant are used in the treatment of wounds and sores, coughs, venereal diseases, and snakebites. In Malawi, the leaves are also used for wounds, coughs, venereal diseases, and snakebites, as well as bilharzia, and the dried leaves are used to cure headaches. In other parts of the continent, parts of the plant are used to cure skin diseases, malaria, impotence, epilepsy, and are also used as an aphrodisiac.

The roots and bark are taken orally either powdered or as infusions for treating chest complaints, headache, inflammation, abortion, ritual suicide, tuberculosis, infertility problems, venereal diseases and for constipation. Toothache can also be relieved by chewing the roots. Mixed roots of the violet tree and dwarf custard apple are used to treat gonorrhea. Powdered roots or wood scrapings are used to treat headache by rubbing them on the forehead, while infusions from the roots are used to wash tropical ulcers. In Limpopo, the vhaVenda people use roots for mental disorders and as protection against children's illness during breastfeeding. It is also believed that many African people use the powdered violet tree roots as a sexual boost for men. The vhaVenda people mix the powdered root with mageu (maize or sorghum beverage) and it is given to a man to drink if he is sexually weak. The bark is used to make soap, fibre for fishing nets, baskets and strong threads that are used to sew bark cloth. In Zimbabwe, the roots are used to treat people who are believed to be possessed by evil spirits, for snakebite as well as for coughs when pounded with water and salt.

More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_medicine

Xylopia aethiopica

Xylopia aethiopica

Xylopia aethiopica grows in Tropical Africa. It is present in rain forests, especially near the coast. It also grows in riverine and fringing forest, and as a pioneer species in arid savanna regions.

An infusion of the plant's bark or fruit has been useful in the treatment of bronchitis and dysenteric conditions, or as a mouthwash to treat toothaches. It has also been used as a medicine for biliousness and febrile pains. The bark, when steeped in palm wine, is used to treat asthma, stomach-aches and rheumatism.

In Senegal, the fruit is used to flavor café Touba, a coffee drink that is the country's spiritual beverage and the traditional drink of the Mouride brotherhood. In the Middle Ages the fruit was exported to Europe as a ‘pepper.’ In the eastern part of Nigeria, the plant's fruit is an essential ingredient in preparation of local soups to aid new mothers in breastfeeding. It remains an important item of local trade throughout Africa as a spice, and flavouring for food and for medicine. The fruit is sometimes put into jars of water for purification purposes.

More: https://www.revolvy.com/topic/Xylopia%20aethiopica&uid=1575

Baboon grape

Baboon grape; Rhoicissus digitata

Other members of the genus have many medicinal, culinary and traditional uses. The fruit of R. rhomboidea is edible. The Lobedu use the fleshy root of R. erythrodes (now R. tridentata subsp. cuneifolia ) in the treatment of the condition known to them as popo ya muyana, where the objective is to strengthen the part of the head of babies which is soft and pulsating. The swollen root is cut into quarters and boiled in water; this is used to make a soft mealie pap which is fed to the infant and then also portions of the plant are stamped into a pulp and applied over the fontanelle. This plant is also used as an epilepsy remedy and the purple fruit is edible. The Masai take a decoction of the root as a nerve stimulant and gonorrhoea remedy and the plant juice is used as a dressing for spear wounds. Poisoning of swine from eating the root of Rhoicissus erythrodes has been reported from Tanganyika. The stem of Rhoicissus revoilii contains a great deal of thin acid juice which is valued in Tanganyka in times of water shortage, and is also used as an addition to palm wine.

More: www.revolvy.com/topic/Rhoicissus%20digitata&uid=1575

Safou

Safou: Dacryodes edulis 

The preferential habitat of D. edulis is a shady, humid tropical forest. However, it adapts well to variations in soil type, humidity, temperature and day length. The natural range extends from Angola in the South, Nigeria and Sierra Leone in the West and Uganda in the East. It is also cultivated in Malaysia.

The tree is also a source of many herbal medicines. It has long been used in the traditional medicine of some African countries to treat various ailments such as wound, skin diseases, dysentery and fever. The extracts and secondary metabolites have been found to show biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant  and anti sickle-cell disease. A wide range of chemical constituents such as terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and saponins have been isolated from the plant.

More: www.revolvy.com/topic/Dacryodes%20edulis&uid=1575

Rhinoceros bush

Rhinoceros bush; Elytropappus rhinocerotis 

Although the Renosterveld Vegetation Type is confined to the South-Western Cape of South Africa, the Renosterbos plant is much more widespread - occurring throughout the Cape Floristic Region and further, as far east as Molteno in the Eastern Cape, and as far north as Namibia. Renosterbos is also relatively common in this area, unlike most plants associated with Renosterveld vegetation.

As a consequence of livestock finding the plant relatively inedible, the Elytropappus rhinocerotis has spread in heavily grazed areas and increased in numbers relative to other (more easily grazed) plants.

Uses
Elytropappus rhinocerotis is a medicinal plant in traditional African medicine. The young tips of the branches are used in traditional medicine to treat indigestion and stomach ulcers. The foliage tips are now usually added to wine or brandy for such medicinal consumption.

More: www.revolvy.com/topic/Elytropappus%20rhinocerotis&uid=1575