Sierra leone-peach
StarSarcocephalus latifolius
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Sarcocephalus latifolius is one of the most important plants of West and Central African traditional medicine, sometimes called "African quinine." Decoctions of the root and bark are widely used to treat malaria and fevers, gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea, dysentery and stomach ache, and to relieve pain (Iwu, 1993; Abbah et al., 2010); the sweet fruit is eaten. Pharmacological work has confirmed antiplasmodial, antimicrobial and analgesic activity and identified bitter indole alkaloids.
Gallery
Botanical Description
A shrub or small tree of the African savanna and woodland, in the coffee family (Rubiaceae), typically reaching 5 to 9 metres in height with a low, spreading, often crooked crown and a short trunk; it sometimes grows as a scrambling shrub. The leaves are opposite, large, broadly elliptic to obovate, leathery and glossy, with prominent venation and interpetiolar stipules. The small white to cream flowers are densely packed into a single spherical head, fused at the base to form a compound inflorescence. These develop into a large, fleshy, reddish, knobbly compound fruit resembling a small mulberry or peach, sweet and edible, giving the plant its common names African peach and Sierra Leone peach. Widely distributed across tropical West and Central Africa in savanna, gallery forest and fallow land, it is one of the most frequently used medicinal plants of the region.
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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