Philenoptera cyanescens
StarPhilenoptera cyanescens
Synonyms: Lonchocarpus cyanescens, Robinia cyanescens
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In West African folk medicine the leaves of Philenoptera cyanescens (elu) are applied as washes and poultices for skin diseases, ulcers, yaws and other infections, and are also used for bone pain and venereal complaints; the species is best known as the source of Yoruba indigo dye (Burkill, 1995). Pharmacological studies report antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of leaf extracts.
Botanical Description
Philenoptera cyanescens (synonym Lonchocarpus cyanescens), the West African or Yoruba indigo, is a scrambling shrub or liana of the legume family (Fabaceae) reaching several metres in length. The branches bear alternate, pinnately compound leaves with several pairs of opposite, ovate to elliptic leaflets that are softly hairy and grey-green, drying to a blue-black tint. Pea-like flowers are borne in axillary or terminal racemes and are violet to pale blue, followed by flattened, indehiscent pods containing one or a few seeds. The plant is native to the savanna and forest margins of tropical West Africa, ranging eastward across the Sudanian and Guinean zones. It is widely known as the principal source of the indigo (elu) dye used for adire and gara cloth, the leaves yielding indoxyl precursors that oxidise to indigotin.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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