Ehretia cymosa (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Ehretia cymosa (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Ehretia cymosa Boraginaceae Indigenous
Common names
- Amargna: Game
- Kefgna: Wagamo
- Kembatgna: Oolagecho
- Oromugna: Hulaga, Ulaga, Garmi
- Sidamigna: Uraga
- Tigrigna: Kurruak
Ecology
An African tree distributed from West to eastern Africa and south to southern Africa, some in bushland, others in riverine forest. In Ethiopia, it commonly occurs in evergreen forest and forest patches, usually on steep mountainsides in the Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones in nearly all regions, 1,400–2,300 m.
Uses
Firewood, timber (furniture), farm tools, medicine (root juice applied externally on wounds), fodder (leaves), bee forage, mulch.
Description
A deciduous shrub or tree 2–9 m, often branching from the base, with weak drooping branches.
- LEAVES: Oval but wide or narrow to 20 cm x 12 cm, the tip pointed, base rounded, on a stalk 1–3 cm. The leaf is rarely flat and bubbles up between the veins. Veins are raised below and have hairs.
- FLOWERS: In loose large heads to 15 cm across (only), on hairy stalks, often covering the tree. The small flowers are white-yellow-pink, quite fragrant. The divided style and brown-black anthers hang out of the bell-like flowers.
- FRUIT: Ripen October to December in large heads. Round orange-red and berry like, the fruit turn black. Each is pointed and breaks into 4 parts, each containing a hard, comma-shaped seed. Propagation Seedlings, direct sowing at site.
Seed
About 20,000–30,000 seeds per kg. Cut the fruiting head when 80% of the fruits are mature to extract the seed.
- Treatment: Not necessary. Germination starts in three days but may continue for 5 weeks
- Storage: Seeds can be stored for some time.
Management
Fast growing. Pruning, pollarding, lopping and coppicing.
Remarks
The light, durable wood is often used to make yokes for oxen. Roots and leaves are poisonous to people but the root juice helps heal wounds. There are two varieties in Ethiopia: var. divariata and var. silvatica. The latter occurs in rain forest and riverine forest.
