The genus has little economic importance: the bark has been used as string or rope; the wood of some species has been used for carving, but the plants rarely grow to a large enough size to make exploitation worthwhile; the fruit of most species is sweet and edible, but the flesh around the stone is so thin that it provides little nutrition and is usually only picked casually; the roots, bark and leaves have all been used medicinally; several species provide browse for both livestock and wildlife; one or two species have been used ornamentally. However, the large number of species and wide distribution in a large number of habitats do make them important indicator species for ecologists. This account is based on some preliminary work done by Mathew and Kirkup. Kirkup followed Burret in recognising Microcos as a distinct genus; this concept has also been followed in SE Asia. Although there are clear differences between Microcos and the other sections of Grewia, for consistency I am following the practice set by the other African floras of not recognising any of the sections as separate genera.