Nuxia congesta (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Nuxia congesta (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Nuxia congesta Buddleiaceae Indigenous
Common names
- Amargna: Atquar, Chocho
- Kefgna: Ataro
- Oromugna: Anfare, Bitana, Hanfare
Ecology
A tree of the upper limits of Afro-montane forest and also a shrubby tree of the lower-storey vegetation, normally at forest edges and in drier evergreen highland forest. It grows from Sierra Leone to the Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and East Africa and as far south as South Africa. In Ethiopia, it is a shrubby tree of the lower-storey vegetation, normally at forest edges and in drier evergreen highland forests, in Dry and Moist Weyna Dega and Dega agroclimatic zones in almost all regions, 1,700–3,200 m.
Uses
Firewood, charcoal, medicine (leaves), bee forage, live fence.
Description
A shrub or tree, usually 2–8 m, but can reach 20 m, quite variable. The bole is often short, twisted and the low branches droop down.
- BARK: Rough, brown-black, shedding long fibrous strips with age. Young branchlets clearly 3- or 6-sided with thick nodes where the leaves grow out.
- LEAVES: Rather leathery, dull green, scaly, usually growing out in threes, crowded at the ends of branches, variable is size, shape and texture, hairy or not, oval to rounded, 1–8 cm, tip rounded or notched, edge occasionally toothed, a stalk to 2 cm, midrib clear.
- FLOWERS: Fragrant whitemauve in dense crowded heads, flat or round-topped at the ends of branches, the 4 petals hardly longer than the bell-shaped calyx, which is sticky. Flowers numerous, attracting bees. The dry flowers persist on the tree.
- FRUIT: The calyx continues to surround small hairy capsules which split to set free many seeds. Propagation Seedlings, wildings.
Seed
Collect mature capsules and thresh out seed.
- Treatment: Not necessary.
- Storage: Can be stored.
Management
Coppicing.
Remarks
A good bee-forage plant. The plant is believed to repel evil spirits. The leafy twigs are used as stoppers for small containers where strong-smelling foodstuff is kept.
