Cladostemon kirkii (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Carbohydrate / starch
Medicinal
Timber
Fuel
Ornamental

Cladostemon kirkii (Oliv.) Pax & Gilg

distribution in Africa (wild)

Protologue: Engl., Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas C: 185 (1895).

Family: Capparaceae

• Three-finger bush, butterfly tree (En).
• Mdudu (Sw).

Cladostemon kirkii occurs in southern DR Congo and southern Kenya and from there southward to northern South Africa and Swaziland.

The Boni people in Kenya apply leaf infusions to wounds as disinfectant. In Mozambique root infusions are taken to treat rheumatism, whereas the leaves are applied to the joints and the plant has also been used in the treatment of ophthalmia. In South Africa root decoctions are taken to treat internal sores.

In Tanzania the roots are eaten in times of food shortage. The wood is used for poles and utensils such as spoons, and as firewood. Cladostemon kirkii is occasionally planted as ornamental shade tree, but the bad smell of the fruits is a drawback.

The proto-alkaloids stachydrine (proline betaine) and 3-hydroxystachydrine have been isolated from the leaves of Cladostemon kirkii. Stachydrine is also found in citrus fruits and is thought to serve an osmoprotective role for the kidneys.

Deciduous shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall, usually little-branched; bark surface narrowly fissured and scaly, yellowish to grey; twigs flexible, glabrous. Leaves alternate, compound with 3 leaflets; stipules minute, soon falling; petiole 3–14(–20) cm long; petiolules up to 5 mm long; leaflets elliptical to obovate, 4–15 cm × 2–9 cm, cuneate at base, rounded to acuminate at apex, papery, glabrous, pinnately veined with indistinct lateral veins. Inflorescence a terminal umbel-like raceme, glabrous. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 4-merous, with a sweet smell; pedicel up to 6.5 cm long; sepals free, lanceolate, 0.5–3 cm long, equal; petals free, ovate to linear-lanceolate, unequal, 2 up to 8 cm × 4 cm, other 2 up to 3 cm × 0.5 cm, pale greenish to white with pink veins, turning yellowish; stamens 6–8, filaments fused except in upper part, 4–10 cm long, curved, rudimentary stamens 4–9, fused at base, 0.5–3 cm long; ovary superior, with long stalk partly fused with staminal column, ovoid, glabrous, 2-celled, stigma sessile, flattened. Fruit a pendulous globose berry up to 12 cm in diameter, with up to 15 cm long jointed stalk thickened upwards, yellowish brown, with a bad smell, many-seeded. Seeds slightly compressed pear-shaped to kidney-shaped, 1–1.5 cm long, brown.

Cladostemon comprises a single species. It seems to be related to Crateva and Euadenia.

A planted tree reached 4 m after 10 years. It flowered and fruited for the first time 4 years after planting. In southern Africa Cladostemon kirkii flowers in September–November. The flowers with their whitish petals and sweetish odour suggest that they are pollinated by moths and/or bats. The large fruits, which mature about 9 months after flowering, have an offensive smell for humans, but are possibly eaten by large mammals such as elephants and wild pigs, which may serve as seed dispersers. The fruits stay on the tree for a long time. Wild pigs also eat the roots.

Cladostemon kirkii occurs in dry forest, open woodland and shrub vegetation, up to 800 m altitude. It is usually found on sandy soils and is drought tolerant. In South Africa it often occurs along rivers.

Cladostemon kirkii can be easily propagated by seeds, but also by cuttings and root division.

The trees can be coppiced.

Cladostemon kirkii is quite widespread and has a fairly large ecological amplitude, and therefore does not seem to be threatened. However, it is included in the Red List of South African plants, although with least concern status.

In many aspects Cladostemon kirkii is poorly known. Its phytochemistry and pharmacological activities warrant more research in view of its applications in traditional medicine, which point at antimicrobial and anodyne activities. Ecological aspects including flower pollination and seed dispersal should also be investigated, as well as the phylogenetic position of Cladostemon kirkii in Capparaceae. The small size of the tree and its nice flowers make it attractive for planting as ornamental, but the offensive smell of the fruits prevents that this is done on a larger scale.

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• Glen, H.F., 2007. Cladostemon kirkii (Oliv.) Pax & Gilg. [Internet]. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cladostemkirk.htm. Accessed November 2012.
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• Palmer, E. & Pitman, N., 1972–1974. Trees of southern Africa, covering all known indigenous species in the Republic of South Africa, South-West Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. 3 volumes. Balkema, Cape Town, South Africa. 2235 pp.
• Turner, Q., 2002. Medicinal plants of Maputaland. Sabonet News 7(2): 114–115.

• Beentje, H.J., 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. 722 pp.
• Coates Palgrave, K., 1983. Trees of southern Africa. 2nd Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. 959 pp.
• Codd, L.E., Kers, L.E., Killick, D.J.B., Tölken, H.R. & Marsh, J.A., 1970. Capparaceae. In: Codd, L.E., de Winter, B., Killick, D.J.B. & Rycroft, H.B. (Editors). Flora of southern Africa. Volume 13. Botanical Research Institute, Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Pretoria, South Africa. pp. 118–177.
• Delaveau, P., Koudogbo, B. & Pousset, J.-L., 1973. Alcaloïdes chez les Capparidaceae. Phytochemistry 12(12): 2893-2895.
• Elffers, J., Graham, R.A. & Dewolf, G.P., 1964. Capparidaceae. In: Hubbard, C.E. & Milne-Redhead, E. (Editors). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 88 pp.
• Hauman, L. & Wilczek, R., 1951. Capparidaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., Demaret, F., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Jurion, F., Lebrun, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 2. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 454–521.
• Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Dondeyne, S., 2012. Cladostemon kirkii. [Internet] Flora of Mozambique: Species information http:// http://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=12440. Accessed November 2012.
• Johnson, D. & Johnson, S., 2002. Down to Earth: Gardening with indigenous trees. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. 112 pp.
• McLean, W.F.H., Blunden, G. & Jewers, K., 1996. Quaternary ammonium compounds in the Capparaceae. Biochemical Systematics & Ecology 24(5): 427–434.
• Wild, H., 1960. Capparidaceae. In: Exell, A.W. & Wild, H. (Editors). Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 1, part 1. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. pp. 195–245.

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2013. Cladostemon kirkii (Oliv.) Pax & Gilg. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). Prota 11(2): Medicinal plants/Plantes médicinales 2. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 3 April 2025.

• See this page on the Prota4U database.