Warburgia Ugandensis

Scientific Name: Warburgia Ugandensis

Common Name: Pepper bark tree, East Africa Green Heart

Family: Canellacae

Names in other languages: Muthiga, Osogonoi

General Information

Warburgia ugandensis, also known as Ugandan greenheart, is a species of evergreen tree native to Africa. Countries in which the plant species is found include Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The wood is resistant to insect attack and very strong. It was commonly used for the yoke pole of ox-wagons, the Disselboom

• Features of Warburgia Ugandensis that make it identifiable:

Bark is smooth or scaly, pale green or brown, slash pink; bole short and clear of branches for about 3 m; crown rounded.

The Leaves are shiny and dark green with a wavy edge, up to 100mm long

The flowers are greenish cream, less than 10mm across

The fruit are hard and round egg shaped berries, green to purple with a waxy surface and several edible seeds

Uses

Warburgia ugandensis Sprague (Family Canellaceae) commonly known as Ugandan greenheart or pepper bark tree, is a highly valued medicinal plant in traditional medicine with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity whose parts especially the leaves and stem bark have for long been used in the treatment and management of many diseases and health conditions such as stomachache, cough, toothache, fever, malaria, oral thrush, measles and diarrhea in African communities where the plant occurs.