Syzygium guineense (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Syzygium guineense (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Syzygium guineense Myrtaceae Indigenous
Common names
- English: Waterberry
- Agewgna: Awlish, Bagootsi
- Agnuakgna: Liu
- Amargna: Dokma
- Bertagna: Anzum
- Gumuzgna: Banjaha
- Guragigna: Dokima
- Oromugna: Badessa, Gosu
- Sahogna: Dequa
- Sidamigna: Duwancho
- Wolaytgna: Badessa, Ochicha
Ecology
A large tree widely distributed in Africa. It prefers moist soils with a high water table beside rivers, but will also grow in open woodland. In Ethiopia, it does very well in Moist and Wet Kolla and Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones of all regions, 1,200— 2,600 m. There are several subspecies in Ethiopia.
Uses
Firewood, charcoal, timber (general construction, furniture), poles, tool handles, carvings, food (fruit), tea substitute (leaves), medicine (bark, roots, leaves), bee forage, dye and tannin (bark).
Description
A densely leafy forest tree, usually 10–15 m but up to 25 m, the trunk broad and fluted and the crown rounded and heavy, the branchlets drooping, the stems thick and angular.
- BARK: Smooth when young, black and rough with age, flaking, producing a red watery sap if cut.
- LEAVES: Young leaves purple‑red, but mature leaves dark green, in opposite pairs, shiny and smooth on both surfaces, the tip long but rounded, on a short grooved stalk. The leaves are variable in shape.
- FLOWERS: White, showy stamens, in dense branched heads 10 cm across, the honey‑sweet smell attracting many insects; stalks angular, square.
- FRUIT: Oval to 3 cm, purple- black and shiny, one‑seeded, in big bunches of 20–30.
Propagation
Seedlings, wildings, direct sowing at site.
Seed
Good germination. About 2,400–3,700 seed per kg. Treatment: Not necessary but remove flesh and wash in water before sowing. Storage: Must be sown immediately the fruit is picked. Germination is reduced with any attempt to dry and store the seed.
Management
Pollarding, coppicing.
Remarks
The wood is brown, hard and strong. It is easily worked but liable to split. Seeds available from June to September.
