Common Name:

General Information

Suregada zanzibariensis is a shrub or small tree with horizontal branches; it can grow up to 10 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. The tree is planted to provide shade, amenity and for soil conservation projects near the sea[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Africa - Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, S. Africa, Madagascar.

Habitat

Usually on sandy soils in woodland, riverine forest, coastal forest and in salt marshes, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A root and stem bark extract is drunk to cure ankylostomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic hookworms[].

The roots are diuretic and purgative. An extract is drunk as a treatment for a range of complaints, including gonorrhoea, stomach-ache, schistosomiasis, chest pain, hernia, pneumonia, oedema and chickenpox[]. The roots are chewed or an extract is drunk to treat snakebites[, ]. The use of root extracts in the treatment of diabetes is aimed at symptoms such as bacterial and fungal infections, rather than the diabetes itself[].

The powdered leaves, mixed with water, are applied externally as a treatment for skin infections, and is taken in a tea or porridge when treating poliomyelitis. The pulped leaves are taken in porridge as a treatment for dysentery and to expel worms[].

The leaves contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and tannins[].
A leaf extract showed significant activity against chloroquine resistant and sensitive strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum[].
A leaf extract showed antifungal activity against Candida albicans in vitro[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used for soil conservation near the sea[].

Other Uses

The wood is hard. It is used for building poles, tool handles, spoons and withies[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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