Discopodium penninervium (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)

← Diospyros mespiliformis

Bekele-Tesemma, Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia, 2007 Discopodium penninervium (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)

Dobera glabra →

Discopodium penninervium (published as penninervum) Solanaceae Indigenous

Common names

• Agewgna: Alumi
• Amargna: Ameraro
• Oromugna: Aja’a, Mararo
• Tigrigna: Alhem

Ecology

A shrubby species growing at the margins of evergreen cedar and Podocarpus forests and woodlands, usually in Dry, Moist and Wet Dega and Wurch agroclimatic zones Tigray, Welo, Gojam, Shoa, Harerge, Arsi, Sidamo and Kefa regions, 2,100-3,100 m.

Uses

Firewood, farm tools (especially ‘digir’), live fence.

Description

Shrub or small tree up to 5 m high, stems slightly fleshy, branchlets brown, hairy.

• BARK: Smooth, pale to dark brown.
• LEAVES: Very large and oval, to 25 x 10 cm, edge wavy.
• FLOWERS: Yellow-greenwhite, very small, in bunches beside the leaves; the triangular calyx lobes bend back.
• FRUIT: Orange-yellow berries, about 1 cm across.

Propagation

Cuttings, seedlings.

Seed

• Treatment: No need
• Storage: Can be stored in dry and airtight containers

Management

Pollarding, lopping, coppicing.

Remarks

The large leaves are used locally for baking bread.