Maytenus arbutifolia (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
From PlantUse English
| Maytenus arbutifolia (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Maytenus arbutifolia Celastraceae Indigenous
Common names
- Amargna: Atat
- Guragigna: Atat
- Oromugna: Kombolcha, Hachacha
- Tigrigna: Atat
Ecology
A shrub that occurs in forests and on forest edges, grasslands and river banks. It is widespread in Ethiopia and also occurs in Kenya and Eritrea. It performs well in Dry, Moist and Wet Kolla, Dega and Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones in nearly all regions, 1,200–3,000 m.
Uses
Firewood, farm tools, fodder (leaves), live fence, fencing (thorny branches).
Description
A shrub usually 1–3 m or a small tree to 12 m. Sharp spines 4–7 cm long. The grey to dark brown branches may be hairy and dotted with white breathing pores.
- LEAVES: Alternate, sometimes growing out of spines, quite variable, hard or leathery, oval to round, usually to 6 cm long, shortly stalked, the edge with small rounded teeth.
- FLOWERS: White, very small in heads on hairy stalks, 5 petals in each flower.
- FRUIT: A dry three-part capsule, only 8 mm across, green-purple, but red when mature, opening to set free 1–4 seeds, each shiny orange-brown with a small aril at the base, soft and folded, white-pink, ripening purple.
Propagation
Seedlings.
Seed
A prolific seeder.
- Treatment: Not necessary.
- Storage: Mature and dry seed can be stored for some time.
Remarks
Planted as a fence on farms. Should be trimmed when planted as a fence.
