Combretum platypterum (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

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

Combretum platypterum (Welw.) Hutch. & Dalziel

distribution in Africa (wild)

Protologue: Fl. W. trop. Afr. 1: 220 (1927).

Family: Combretaceae

Chromosome number: 2n = 26

Combretum platypterum occurs from Guinea east to DR Congo and southern Sudan, and south to northern Angola.

In southern Côte d’Ivoire a root decoction is drunk to treat lower backache and a leaf decoction is drunk to treat headache. A leaf decoction is taken to treat fever and as a tonic. In southern Nigeria leaves together with leaves of Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv. and Aspilia africana (Pers.) C.D.Adams are ground, mixed with palm oil and licked to treat eye problems, including blindness. A root decoction is taken to treat malaria. Powdered roots are rubbed into cuts over the affected parts to treat swellings and mumps. In the Central African Republic leaf sap is used as eye drops to treat conjunctivitis. In Gabon a leaf maceration is drunk or leaf pulp is dried, mixed with plant salt and eaten to treat coughs. In DR Congo a macerate of the crushed leaves is exposed to sunshine for warming, then drunk twice a day to treat sexually transmitted diseases and helminthiasis. Leaf sap in hot water is used as a bath to stop post-partum bleeding. Leaf or root powder is added to food or an infusion drunk to treat diarrhoea. The root maceration is reported to be poisonous as it leads to a swollen stomach and signs of insanity.

In Sierra Leone the young leaves are sometimes put into soups. The hollow stems are used for tapping palm wine; the wood is hard and used for small implements. The flowers are sucked by children and sun-birds visit the flowers to obtain the nectar. The flowers and fruits are showy red, and the plant is worthy of cultivation. In Congo Combretum platypterum is used in magical rituals.

A scandent shrub or forest liana, up to 10 m long; stem up to 10 cm in diameter; older stems with many lenticels; young stems short-hairy, glabrous and blackish when older; at the base sometimes with recurved spines. Leaves opposite or alternate, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole 6–13 mm long, glabrous; blade oblong-elliptical, 5–15 cm × 2–8 cm, base cordate or rounded, apex abruptly acuminate, often with domatia beneath, pinnately veined with 6–18 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence a terminal panicle up to c. 50 cm × c. 30 cm, with short ramifications 1–2 cm long, densely short-hairy, greyish and with a golden reflection, sometimes slightly glandular; bracts lanceolate, 6–15 mm × 2–5 mm, pinkish-red. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous; pedicel 2–5 mm long; receptacle consisting of 2 parts, lower part 4–6 mm long, upper part tubular, curved, 19–25 mm long; sepals c. 5 mm long; petals elliptical-obovate, 6–8 mm × 4–5 mm, bright red, short-hairy outside; stamens 10, exserted by 5–10 mm; ovary inferior, 1-celled. Fruit a 5-winged nut, almost circular in outline, slightly notched at apex, short-hairy, red or orange, wings narrow, stipe small or absent, indehiscent, 1-seeded. Seedling with hypogeal germination.

Combretum is a very large genus, comprising about 250 species distributed worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. About 140 species occur in tropical Africa. Several other Combretum species are medicinally used in West and Central Africa.

Combretum demeusei

Combretum demeusei De Wild. is a liana, which occurs in rain forest from Guinea east to Central Africa. In DR Congo a leaf decoction, maceration or infusion is drunk, and bananas are eaten, to treat intestinal worms.

Combretum mortehanii

Combretum mortehanii De Wild. & Exell is a liana, which occurs in the forests of Central Africa. In the Central African Republic powdered young leaves are applied to ulcers. A root decoction is drunk to treat cough. Sap of the root bark is taken as an antidote for Securidaca longipedunculata Fresen. poisoning.

Combretum zenkeri

Combretum zenkeri Engl. & Diels is a shrub or liana, which occurs in secondary forest of Guinea east to Cameroon. In Côte d’Ivoire crushed seeds, together with seeds of Aframomum melegueta K.Schum. and Capsicum pepper, are made into suppositories to treat dysentery. Leaf sap, together with leaf sap of Struchium sparganophorum (L.) Kuntze, is drunk to treat male sterility. An extract of the leaves is drunk and used as a wash to treat oedema. In Ghana twigs are chewed to treat menstrual pain. In Benin a leaf maceration is applied to heal fractures. In Nigeria a leaf decoction is taken to treat intestinal worms.

Combretum platypterum occurs in rain forest, secondary forest and scrub savanna, sometimes in swampy localities, from sea-level up to 450 m altitude.

Combretum platypterum can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

Combretum platypterum can be coppiced.

Combretum platypterus has a relative large area of distribution and seems nowhere scarce.

Combretum platypterum possesses a number of local medicinal applications. However, no phytochemical or pharmacological analyses have been done on the species, and this type of research is needed in order to evaluate its potential.

• Bakare, P.A., 2008. Exploration of wild ornamental plants. BSc Botany degree thesis, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. 28 pp.

• Bongers, F., Parren, M.P.E. & Traoré, D. (Editors), 2005. Forest climbing plants of West Africa: diversity, ecology and management. CABI, Wallingford, United Kingdom. 273 pp.

• Burkill, H.M., 1985. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 1, Families A–D. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 960 pp.

• Liben, L., 1983. Combretaceae. Flore du Cameroun. Volume 25. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. 97 pp.

• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.

• Adjanohoun, E.J., Ahyi, A.M.R., Aké Assi, L., Baniakina, J., Chibon, P., Cusset, G., Doulou, V., Enzanza, A., Eymé, J., Goudoté, E., Keita, A., Mbemba, C., Mollet, J., Moutsamboté, J.-M., Mpati, J. & Sita, P. (Editors), 1988. Médecine traditionnelle et pharmacopée - Contribution aux études ethnobotaniques et floristiques en République Populaire du Congo. Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, Paris, France. 606 pp.

• Chifundera, K., 2001. Contribution to the inventory of medicinal plants from the Bushi area, South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Fitoterapia 72: 351–368.

• Okafor, J. & Ham, R., 1999. Identification, utilisation et conservation des plantes médicinales dans le sud-est du Nigeria. Thèmes de la biodiversité africaine. Le programme d’appui à la biodiversité 3. 8 pp.

• Tra Bi, F.H., 1997. Utilisations des plantes, par l’homme, dans les forêts classées du Haut-Sassandra et de Scio, en Côte d’Ivoire. Thèse pour obtenir le Doctorat de troisième cycle, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. 215 pp.

• Verger, P.F., 1995. Ewé: The use of plants in Yoruba society. Editoria Schwarcz, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 744 pp.

• E.N. Matu, CTMDR/KEMRI, P.O. Box 54840–00200, Nairobi, Kenya

Matu, E.N., 2011. Combretum platypterum (Welw.) Hutch. & Dalziel. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 3 April 2025.

• See the Prota4U database.