Brackenridgea zanguebarica, the yellow peeling plane, is a species of plant in the family Ochnaceae. It is native to the southeastern Afrotropics. The bark of the tree is locally in high demand for traditional medicine.
Yellow peeling plane | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Ochnaceae |
Genus: | Brackenridgea |
Species: | B. zanguebarica
|
Binomial name | |
Brackenridgea zanguebarica Oliv. (1871)
| |
Synonyms[1] | |
|
It is known locally as Mutavhasindi among native healers in Vhembe district of South Africa.
The plant grows either as a shrub or tree, it is a deciduous species that can reach an height of 10 m.[2] The bark is corky and furrowed often greyish in color but sometimes black with yellow pigments and a yellow inner bark.[2] Leaves are petiolate, the stipules are markedly longitudinally striate.[2] Leaflets are obovate to elliptic in outline, up to 5 cm long and 3 cm wide and with a toothed margin. The flowers are whitish to cream in color and are solitary or in clusters of 2-8.[2]
It occurs in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe[3] and very locally Limpopo Province of South Africa, where it is endangered. Occurs in wooded grasslands and forest margins.[2]
The stem bark and root extracts of the plant is used in native medicine to treat a variety of ailments that include amenorrhea, conjunctivitis, wound treatment and venereal diseases.[4]