Gymnosporia serrata

Botanical Description

Gymnosporia serrata is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing from 0.8 - 4 metres tall, with spines up to 27mm long[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for its leaves, which are used medicinally. The plant has also been suggested as an evergreen hedge. Gymnosporia serrata has an estimated population size of fewer the 10,000 mature individuals and has been experiencing significant declines of 10% over three generations (45-50 years). Threats stem from the increased human population in the region, leading to agricultural expansion, increased grazing and use of the species for firewood and charcoal production. There are few conservation actions in place for this species. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].