Strychnos congolana
Strychnos congolana
Safety & Hazards
Various parts of Strychnos plants, especially the seeds and bark, contain toxic alkaloids such as strychnine and brucine. The fleshy pulp of the ripe fruits, however, is often edible[ 500 Title Flora of Somalia Publication Author Thulin M. (Editor) Publisher Kew Publishing, London. Year 1993 ISBN Description Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses. ].
Botanical Description
Strychnos congolana is a sometimes spiny, climbing shrub producing stems from 20 - 35 metres long and 3 - 10cm in diameter. The stems can climb into the canopy of the forest, supporting themselves by means of tendrils. When growing in more open positions in secondary forest the plant will often adopt a more shrub form of growth[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ , 736 Title Flora of West Tropical Africa Publication Author Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=2025 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An online flora, not yet complet (2012). Very comprehensive as regards to species covered, but the information on each species is often rather terse. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.