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''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. ''Combretum schweinfurthii'' Engl. & Diels, known from DR Congo, Sudan and Uganda, is possibly synonymous with ''Combretum glutinosum''.
Several other ''Combretum'' species are used for dyeing in Africa. The major ones are: ''[[Combretum erythrophyllum]]'' (Burch.) Sond. from southern Africa of which the roots are used to dye textiles and baskets into rich dark brown colours, but its major use is as timber; ''[[Combretum micranthum]]'' G.Don from the western Sahel, used to dye red colours but more important as a medicinal plant; ''[[Combretum nigricans]]'' Lepr. ex Guill. & Perr. occurring from Senegal to Sudan and used to dye orange-red colours, but more important for its gum; ''[[Combretum paniculatum]]'' Vent., which is widespread all over tropical Africa and yields a yellow dye used in Kenya to dye green in combination with blue dyes, but more important as a medicinal plant.
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