Combretum imberbe

What to Eat

Edible parts: Gum, Leaves, Fruit - gum

The tree produces an edible gum of medium quality that is reasonably clear. The leaves and fruit are also edible.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It is usually on good soils. It grows in woodland and along streams. It grows at medium to low altitudes. It is often in mixed woodlands and along rivers. It especially grows in alluvial soils. It grows between 185-1,650 m above sea level. It can grow in salty soils. It can grow in arid places. Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Africa, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

How to Identify

A tall tree which loses its leaves during the year. It can be 21 m tall. The trunk can be 1 m across. The bark cracks in rectangular flakes. The wood is very hard. The young branches and twigs often have hard spines. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 2.5-4 cm long by 0.8-3.5 cm wide. They are oblong. The base is narrow and the edges are wavy. They are silvery grey and with red scales. The flowers are yellow in loose spikes in the axils of leaves and near the ends of branches. The fruit are 1.9 cm across and with 4 wings. They are yellowish-green but can have a red tinge.

Nutrition Score: 43/100

How to Grow

A tropical plant. Plants are not tolerant of frosts. Grows best in a sunny position and a well-drained soil. Established trees are fairly drought resistant. A very slow growing tree. Under natural conditions, mean annual diameter increment rates of only 0.3 mm to 2 mm have been recorded, but under optimal conditions in cultivation young trees may reach 6 m tall in 15 years. The trees can become very old. Radiocarbon dating showed that some specimens were over 1,000 years old. Dead trees can remain upright for as much as 80 years.. Trees respond well to coppicing. The number of shoots produced from cut stems is negatively correlated with the height at which the trees are cut, but shorter shoots are produced when the tree is cut close to the ground. A cutting height of 1 metre appears most advantageous.

Propagation: Seed is best sown fresh. Pre-soak in warm water for a few hours, then press seeds into seedling trays filled with river sand, cover with a thin layer of sand, and keep moist. Germination occurs within 1–2 weeks, though very low germination rates of 3–5% have been recorded, along with high seedling mortality. Seedlings can be transplanted into nursery bags after the second leaf develops. Seed stored inside the fruit retains viability for several years in most if not all species.

Medicinal Uses

Several parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine. Powdered roots or leaves, and decoctions made from them, are taken internally to treat stomach aches, diarrhoea, coughs, colds, and chest pains. A leaf decoction is applied as an enema to relieve constipation. Smoke from burnt leaves is inhaled to treat coughs, colds, and chest complaints. The roots are used to treat infertility in women. An infusion is drunk to treat schistosomiasis. Bark powder is applied externally against leprosy. Flowers are used to prepare a cough medicine. Acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaves have shown pronounced anti-inflammatory activity in testing. An aqueous leaf extract has shown activity against Schistosoma haematobium. The pentacyclic triterpene imberbic acid, isolated from the leaves, has demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium fortuitum and Staphylococcus aureus.

Other Uses

The wood ash has a high lime content and is used as toothpaste and as a whitewash substitute for decorating house walls. Testing has shown wood ash to be effective at managing cowpea weevils in stored cowpea seeds. The bark yields tannins. The heartwood is dark brown, clearly distinct from the thin yellow-brown sapwood, with a straight grain and fine texture. The wood is very heavy and extremely durable, even in ground contact, and highly resistant to termites. It is difficult to work, blunting cutting edges rapidly, but takes an excellent lustrous polish and has outstanding turning properties. Uses include fence poles, mine props, railway sleepers, mortars, walking sticks, inlay work, toys, turnery, sculpture, lathe work, the main supporting poles of huts, and heavy, extremely durable furniture. The wood is also valued as fuel and for charcoal production, burning slowly and with great heat.

Combretum imberbe (also known as leadwood or mhoba-hoba, Afrikaans: hardekool, Sotho: mohwelere-tšhipi, Tsonga: motswiri/mondzo, Zulu: impondondlovu) is a characteristic and often impressive bushwillow species of the southern Afrotropics. The medium to large tree has a sparse, semi-deciduous canopy of grey-green leaves. The twigs and leaves are hairless as the name imberbe suggests. Its heartwood is dark brown, close-grained, very hard and heavy, as suggested by its vernacular name "leadwood", and durable; it is much sought after in the woodcarving industry. The Hereros and Ovambos of Namibia attach special cultural and religious significance to the tree, as to them it is the great ancestor of all animals and people, which must be passed with respect.

Production

It is a slow growing tree. It grows about 8 cm in one year. Trees can live for 1,000 years.

Notes

There are about 255 Combretum species.

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