Combretum paniculatum (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Vegetable
Carbohydrate / starch
Dye / tannin
Medicinal
Timber
Ornamental
Fibre
Food security

Combretum paniculatum Vent.

Protologue: Choix Pl., t. 58 (1808).

Family: Combretaceae

Chromosome number: 26, 78

• Flame combretum, flame creeper, burning-bush combretum (En).

Combretum paniculatum is widely distributed in tropical Africa, from West Africa east to Ethiopia and south to Angola and Mozambique. It also occurs in South Africa.

Throughout tropical Africa Combretum paniculatum is used as a traditional medicinal plant. In West Africa a root, leaf and stem decoction is taken as a tonic and to treat malaria, stomach problems and pain in the joints. In Senegal a root decoction is taken to treat diarrhoea. An infusion of the leafy stem is taken to treat haemorrhoids and painful childbirth. In Côte d’Ivoire leaves with galls are ground with salt and the paste is applied in the mouth of babies with stomatitis. A decoction of leaves with galls is used in hipbaths and vaginal douches to treat haemorrhoids; the roots are crushed with peppers and used as an enema for the same purpose. Leaf galls are ground in water and the liquid drunk to prevent vomiting. In Togo the root bark powder, mixed with powdered root bark and leafy twigs of Flueggea virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Voigt and Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A.Rich., is rubbed into scarifications to treat convulsions in children. In Nigeria leaf extracts are taken to treat cancer. In DR Congo a maceration of crushed leaves and stem bark in water is orally taken to treat intestinal worms. Crushed roots are used as an enema to treat haemorrhoids. In Ethiopia the sap expressed from flowers is used to treat conjunctivitis and other eye problems. It is also externally applied to treat leprosy. In Kenya and Tanzania the leaf sap is externally applied to treat gonorrhoea. In Tanzania a root decoction is taken to treat stomach-ache, gonorrhoea, coughs and fever. In Uganda the pounded roots and leaves are taken in water on an empty stomach to treat diarrhoea. The leaves are chewed and the sap swallowed to treat coughs. In southern Africa a root decoction, mixed with other plant parts, is drunk or is eaten in porridge to treat infertility, venereal diseases and coughs and to expel a retained placenta.

In West Africa an infusion of roots, leaves and stems is given to cattle with stomach problems. The fruits are considered toxic.

Young leaves and flowers are eaten in soup and as a slimy vegetable, usually mixed with other vegetables. The boiled leaves and branches produce a black dye which is used for bark cloth and body painting. Ruminants browse the leaves. The wood is used to make tool handles, hut roofs, canes and hunting- and fishing equipment, and from the stem bark winnowing baskets and ropes are made. The flowers are much frequented by bees for nectar. Children suck the flowers to get the nectar. In southern Africa Combretum paniculatum is a popular garden plant because of its striking red flowers during the dry season. The dried fruits are used in flower arrangements. In West and Central Africa it is used a fetish plant.

Combretum paniculatum is only traded on a local scale for medicinal purposes. It is sometimes for sale on the internet as an ornamental.

The composition of the leaves is: carbohydrates 50%, protein 20.2% and fat 3%. From the acetone and water extracts of the leafy twigs the following compounds were isolated: cholest-5-en-3-ol, 2-phyten-1-ol, isoquercitrin, coumaric acid, 2,3,8-tri-O-methylellagic acid, β-sitosterol, gallocatechin, apigenin and apigenin-7-glucoside. Several of these compounds showed significant antibacterial activity in vitro. Different extracts from the leaves show contradicting antifungal results, varying from high activity to no activity. Both the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the leaves were effective on a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella typhi.

Acetone and water extracts showed significant antiviral activity against feline herpes virus. A methanol extract from the leaves significantly inhibited replication of HIV-1. The acetone fraction also exhibited antiviral activity against both HIV-1 and HIV-2. Cytotoxicity against Vero cells was low. A leaf extract showed moderate cytotoxic activity against a range of cancer cell lines in vitro. Different leaf extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.

Vigorous evergreen or deciduous liana up to 10(–20) m long or scrambling shrub up to 3 m tall; bark grey to greyish-black; young branches densely reddish hairy, becoming almost glabrous. Leaves opposite, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole up to 3 cm long, the base often persistent and becoming spiny; blade very variable, almost circular to oblong-elliptical or (ob)ovate-oblong, up to 12(–18) cm × 8(–9.5) cm, apex rounded or acuminate, base obtuse to almost cordate, papery, glabrous, pinnately veined with 4–6(–8) pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary panicle; rachis usually densely short-hairy. Flowers bisexual, 4(–5)-merous, regular, bright red, (almost) sessile; receptacle consisting of 2 parts, lower part 4–5 mm long, densely woolly-hairy, upper part 4–5 mm × 2–3 mm, campanulate, densely reddish woolly-hairy; sepals triangular, c. 0.5 mm long; petals free, almost circular to ovate, c. 2.5 mm × c. 2.5 mm, stamens 8, 7–8 mm long, red; ovary inferior, 1-celled, style 6–8 mm long. Fruit a 4 (–5)-winged nut, almost circular to oblong-elliptical in outline, 2–2.5 cm × 1.5–2 cm, stipe 5–10 mm long, pale to bright red or pale green, yellowish brown when dry, wings up to 9 mm broad, indehiscent, 1-seeded. Seedling with hypogeal germination.

Combretum is a very large genus, comprising about 250 species and distributed worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. About 140 species occur in tropical Africa; c. 20 species are endemic to Madagascar.

Combretum paniculatum is part of a species complex, including also Combretum microphyllum Klotzsch and Combretum platypetalum Laws. In some taxonomical treatments, Combretum microphyllum is considered a subspecies of Combretum paniculatum as the main difference is that it grows under drier conditions than Combretum paniculatum and is deciduous. There exists a pentamerous form of Combretum paniculatum in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Combretum fuscum Planch. ex Benth. occurs in the humid forest areas of tropical Africa. In central Africa a leaf maceration is drunk to treat coughs. Ground leaves are introduced vaginally to treat post-partum pain.

Combretum paniculatum grows rapidly. Flowering occurs usually during the first half of the dry season, just before the young leaves appear.

Combretum paniculatum is common, locally abundant and gregarious in humid forest, evergreen and semi-deciduous fringing forest, tree savannah, hill sides and ravines on any type of soil, from sea-level up to 2000 m altitude. It tolerates temporary flooding, but no frost. It is also fairly drought resistant.

Combretum paniculatum is propagated by seed. The seed should be removed from the fruit, and soaked in water for a few hours before sowing. The fresher the seed, the better the germination rate. Seedlings emerge 10–21 days after sowing, and can reach 2.5 m after one year. Average 1000-seed weight is 34.0 g.

Combretum paniculatum can be trimmed regularly to retain its shape.

The seeds of Combretum paniculatum are not much parasitized. Occasionally aphids and caterpillars can do much damage, as well as spider mites under too shady nursery conditions.

Most plant parts of Combretum paniculatum can be harvested whenever the need arises.

Combretum paniculatum is common throughout its large area of distribution and is not threatened by genetic erosion.

Combretum paniculatum has many traditional medicinal uses, especially as antibacterial and to treat haemorrhoids. Several pharmacological tests show promising antibacterial, anticancer and antiviral results, and more research is needed to evaluate its potential. Its use as a garden ornamental deserves more attention.

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• Samdumu, F.B., 2007. Characterization of antimicrobial compounds from Combretum paniculatum, a plant with proven anti-HIV replication activity. PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, South Africa. 120 pp.
• Sowemimo, A., van de Venter, M., Baatjies, L. & Koekemoer, T., 2011. Cytotoxicity evaluation of selected Nigerian plants used in traditional cancer treatment. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 5(11): 2442–2444.

• Akinyemi, K.O., Mendie, U.E., Smith, S.T., Oyefolu, A.O. & Coker, A.O., 2005. Screening of some medicinal plants for anti-salmonella activity. Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy 5(1): 45–60.
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• Getahun, A., 1976. Some common medicinal and poisonous plants used in Ethiopian folk medicine. Faculty of Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 63 pp.
• Le Roux, L.-N., 2003. Combretum microphyllum Klotzsch. [Internet] South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantklm/kiggelarafric.htm. Accessed August 2011.
• Masoko, P. & Eloff, J.N., 2006. Bioautography indicates the multiplicity of antifungal compounds from twenty-four southern African Combretum species (Combretaceae). African Journal of Biotechnology 5(18): 1625–1647.
• McGaw, L.J., Rabe, T., Sparg, S.G., Jäger, A.K., Eloff, J.N. & van Staden, J., 2001. An investigation on the biological activity of Combretum species. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 75: 45–50.
• Steenkamp, V., 2003. Traditional herbal remedies used by South African women for gynaecological complaints. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 86: 97–108.
• Witabouna, K.M. & Kagoyire, K.A., 2009. West African plants and related phytocompounds with anti-multidrug-resistance activity. In: Ahmad, I. & Aqil, F. (Editors). New strategies combating bacterial infection. Wiley-Blackwell, United Kingdom. pp. 137–164.

• G.H. Schmelzer, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Schmelzer, G.H., 2012. Combretum paniculatum Vent. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). Prota 11(2): Medicinal plants/Plantes médicinales 2. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 23 December 2024.

• See this page on the Prota4U database.