Cordia Africana

Scientific Name:

Common Name: Large Leafed Cordia

Family: Boraginaceae

Names in other languages: Makobokobo(Swahilli)

General Information

A large deciduous forest tree with rounded cown and often crooked trunk reaching of 15 m. Widely distributed in wooded grassland forest and riverine areas at altitude of 1200-2,100m Very common throughout East Africa very attractive in flower

Features of Cordia Africana that make it identifiable:

The Bark is Pale Brown rough and fissured with age

The Leaves are large oval up to 160mm long apex tapering and base rounded; dull dark, green above player below veins prominent below; young shoots leaf stalks and underside of leaves covered with soft brown hairs

The flowers are white snowy funnel shaped sweetly scented and attractive to bees in dense terminal masses

Uses

The heartwiood is reddish-brown, light and durable; used in making of furniture and beehives: also as a general timber and fuel the fruit is edible

Fresh juice from the bark is applied to the affected area to treat broken bone