Description

A woody climber to 8 m, of the woody savanna from Senegal to Niger, and also in Cabinda.The plant is an ornamental climber with copious panicles of white or pinkish sweet-scented flowers (4–6, 12). The stems are very strong and are used for tying house-roofs in Sierra Leone (11). The bark in The Gambia is made into rope (13). The plant contains a white latex which has in the past been collected to produce a good quality rubber (The Gambia, 13; Ghana, 2, 3). Cattle in Senegal will browse the foliage (1).The plant has a good reputation with Senegalese medicinemen who use the roots and bark in decoction after prolonged boiling for calming colic without causing diarrhoea, for infantile diarrhoea (10) and for treating female sterility (7). An aqueous decoction of the liane is considered diuretic and is taken by draught for rheumatism, arthritis, kidney troubles, lumbago, and for general lassitude while the lees are applied in frictions (7, 9, 10). The bark, and more especially leafy twigs rich in latex are taken in various preparations for oedemas arising through deficiencies (10). Root-powder in water is used for conjunctivitis, and mixed with food or drink is a treatment for appendicitis (10).The Basari of western Senegal prepare a leaf-macerate in a bath as a stimulant and fetish for the hunt (8).

Description

A woody climber to 8 m, of the woody savanna from Senegal to Niger, and also in Cabinda.The plant is an ornamental climber with copious panicles of white or pinkish sweet-scented flowers (4–6, 12). The stems are very strong and are used for tying house-roofs in Sierra Leone (11). The bark in The Gambia is made into rope (13). The plant contains a white latex which has in the past been collected to produce a good quality rubber (The Gambia, 13; Ghana, 2, 3). Cattle in Senegal will browse the foliage (1).The plant has a good reputation with Senegalese medicinemen who use the roots and bark in decoction after prolonged boiling for calming colic without causing diarrhoea, for infantile diarrhoea (10) and for treating female sterility (7). An aqueous decoction of the liane is considered diuretic and is taken by draught for rheumatism, arthritis, kidney troubles, lumbago, and for general lassitude while the lees are applied in frictions (7, 9, 10). The bark, and more especially leafy twigs rich in latex are taken in various preparations for oedemas arising through deficiencies (10). Root-powder in water is used for conjunctivitis, and mixed with food or drink is a treatment for appendicitis (10).The Basari of western Senegal prepare a leaf-macerate in a bath as a stimulant and fetish for the hunt (8).