This is our next tree of concern after Warbugia ugandensis
Sandle wood tree
Osyris lanceolata, also known as African sandalwood, is an evergreen, multi-stemmed, hardy shrub or small tree, 2-6 m high flowering plant. It has a blue-green shade for colour. Osyris majorly occurs naturally in evergreen bushland or scrub, usually in rocky places, also where the original vegetation has been cleared; forest margins; rocky thickets, wooded grassland, woodland and on the margins of forests. Its fruits are fleshy, small, about 15 x 10 mm, becoming yellow and ripening to bright red to purplish black. The generic name is from the Greek word ozos; meaning branch, referring to the branching habit of the plant. The specific name lanceolata refers to the lance-shaped leaves. The hemi-parasitic( obtain part of its food from other plants), found from South Africa to Zimbabwe and east Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Uses of Sandal wood:
Osyris wood is sold locally and also traded internationally for its essential oil which is used in making perfume. Roots and wood are scented and used to make other cosmetics and to extract essential oil by big companies. Because of this, it is overexploited and consequently currently under presidential protection; meaning no extraction of any of its part is allowed in Kenya. Osyris has a hard and durable wood which is used for timber, firewood, and utensils (pestles). The bark was used by early inhabitants for tanning leather, while the root produces a strong red dye. The root fibres are mostly used in basketry. Roots and bark are used for tea and as a tonic in soup.They are very decorative, and will attract birds into your garden. Ripe fruits are eaten raw, with the seed discarded, but only as an emergency food for herdsmen. Traditionally various Kenyan communities used Osyris lanceolata to preserve milk in gourds for long periods. The root decoction is used to treat diarrhoea in Kenya. A decoction of the bark and heartwood is used to treat some sexually transmitted diseases and anaemia in Tanzania. Extracts from the plant are said to cure certain diseases, including Hepatitis B.
Growing Osyris lanceolata
Osyris lanceolata grows from seeds in the natural habitats. In garden, seeds must be sown fresh to the ground. No pretreatment is necessary, but nicking the base of the seed improves germination. Seed germination can reach 60% after 6 weeks. Plants prefer well drained clays or deep loams in a shade area, especially when still in early growth stages. They grow very slowly, and are frost- and drought-tolerant.
Disclaimer: Young leaves are poisonous to goats.
How to prepare
✓ The roots and bark are ground and used to make a tea and are added as a tonic in soups
✓ The leaves are steamed, dried in the shade and then used to make a tea
✓ Eaten by children, but mainly seen as an emergency food, only eaten when there is nothing better available
✓ The root is boiled in water for about 10 minutes and the liquid given to women after childbirth to control bleeding and boost energy
✓ The bark is boiled in water, strained and then boiled again to form a gelatinous mass. This is used in the treatment of bloody dysentery
✓ The mass is also applied externally to set dislocated bone, and is put in the eye to relieve inflammation
✓ The juice of the bark is used in the treatment of indigestion, and is applied to foreheads to relieve headaches
✓ A decoction of the bark and heartwood is used to treat sexually transmitted diseases and anaemia
✓ A paste of the fruit is applied to the forehead to relieve headaches
✓ A paste of the leaf buds is applied to cuts and wounds
No comments:
Post a Comment