Maytenus senegalensis (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)

Maytenus senegalensis Celastraceae Indigenous

• English: Confetti tree
• Amargna: Gogoba, Gulo, Nech atat, Qoqoba, Yedega atat
• Oromugna: Jima hare, Kombolcha
• Tigrigna: Argti, Argwdi, Qebqes, Tsililo

A tropical African shrub or tree from North Africa, Somalia to Senegal, south to South Africa, in Madagascar and east to Bangladesh with a wide altitude range from sea level to highlands. In Ethiopia it is common in open woodlands and bushlands, usually in Dry, Moist and Wet Kolla and Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones in nearly all regions, 400–2,400 m.

Firewood, medicine (roots, leaves, bark), fodder (leaves), bee forage, live fence, fence (spiny branches).

Usually a shrub, but can be a tree to 8 m high, the trunk straight with drooping branches and many sucker shoots, either with or without spines.

• BARK: Trunk grey, rough and thick, vertical grooves; spines to 1–5 cm, often bunched together, on smooth red or grey-green branches which have no hairs or dots.
• LEAVES: Alternate or in clusters, smooth, often fleshy, variable in shape, oval, the tip often wider than the base, 3–12 cm long, the edge finely round toothed, the short stalk and midrib often pink.
• FLOWERS: White-cream-green in dense stalked clusters about 4 cm across, sweet scented, often covering the tree.
• FRUIT: A 2- or 3-part capsule, green then red, round, to 6 mm, 1–2 shiny red-brown seeds, more than half covered by a soft white aril.

Seedlings.

Prolific seeder; seeds usually dispersed by birds. Treatment: Not necessary. Storage: Mature and dry seed can be stored for some time. Management Lopping, trimming tops and sides to produce a good live fence.

This is a common shrub that has many uses as a local medicine. The wood is yellowwhite, hard and durable. When in flower it becomes a beautiful bush with the very many small cream-green sweetly scented flowers that attract pollinators, especially bees.