Warburgia salutaris

Warburgia salutaris
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Canellales
Family: Canellaceae
Genus: Warburgia
Species: W. salutaris
Binomial name
Warburgia salutaris
(Bertol.f.) Chiov.

Warburgia salutaris (Pepper-bark tree, Afrikaans: Peperbasboom, Sotho: Molaka, Venda: Mulanga, Zulu: Isibaha)[1] is a species of tree in the Canellaceae family. It is found in Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi and Zimbabwe. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a popular medicinal plant and is overharvested in the wild, another reason for its endangerment.[2] The Pepper-bark tree is a protected tree in South Africa.[1] Various projects are investigating methods of propagation under controlled conditions with subsequent planting in the wild. [3]

This is an erect tree growing up to about ten metres in maximum height, but known to reach 20 metres at times. It has a thick canopy of aromatic, shiny green leaves. The evergreen leaf blades are lance-shaped, measuring up to 11 cm long by 3 wide. The flowers have ten yellow-green petals. They are each just under a centimeter long and are solitary or borne in small clusters of up to 3. The fruit is a berry, leathery purple or black in color when ripe, measuring up to 4 cm wide.

The leaves are used to add peppery flavoring to food and tea.[4] The bitter taste of the tree's bark and leaves is due to the presence of iridoids.[5] The herbage and fruit are fed to animals.[4] The aromatic, oily, yellowish wood is used for firewood.[4]

This plant is used medicinally by the Maasai people to treat malaria.[6] It is used as a snuff or smoked for respiratory complaints such as common cold and cough.[4] The bark can be purchased at markets in Tanzania,[7] and elsewhere.[8] A chemical compound isolated from the bark of the tree shows antimicrobial activity at high concentrations.[5]

It is attractive and makes a good shade tree.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Protected Trees". Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Republic of South Africa. 3 May 2013.
  2. ↑ PlantzAfrica
  3. ↑ http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1731
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 W. salutaris. World Agroforestry.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mohanlall, V. and B. Odhav. (2009). Furans and furanones with antimycotoxigenic activity isolated from Warburgia salutaris (Canellaceae). Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 3:4 231-40.
  6. ↑ Bussmann, RW; Gilbreath, GG; Solio, J; Lutura, M; Lutuluo, R; Kunguru, K; Wood, N; Mathenge, SG (2006). "Plant use of the Maasai of Sekenani Valley, Maasai Mara, Kenya". Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine 2: 22. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-2-22. PMC 1475560. PMID 16674830.
  7. ↑ Indigenous multipurpose trees of Tanzania.
  8. ↑ Botha, J.; Witkowski, E.T.F.; Shackleton, C.M. (2004). "The impact of commercial harvesting on Warburgia salutaris ('pepper-bark tree') in Mpumalanga, South Africa". Biodiversity and Conservation 13 (9): 1675. doi:10.1023/B:BIOC.0000029333.72945.b0..