Euphorbiaceae FAMILY

Alchornea cordifolia

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Christmas bush is a straggling, laxly branched, evergreen dioecious shrub or small tree growing up to 8 metres tall[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The plant is a widely used and important traditional medicine in Africa, where it is mainly harvested from the wild[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. It also supplies a dye, wood etc, and is occasionally used for food. The plant is cultivated for its medicinal uses in DR Congo, and is also used in shelterbelts and as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The leaves, root bark and fruits are sold for medicinal purposes in local markets[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical Africa - Senegal east to Kenya and Tanzania and south throughout Central Africa to Angola.

HabitatWidespread in secondary forest and riverine forest, especially in marshy areas but sometimes in drier sites, from sea-level up to 1,500 metres altitude[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. It often forms thickets in disturbed, unburned localities[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].