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''Erythrina abyssinica'' is well known as a medicinal plant. The bark is most commonly used in traditional medicine, to treat snakebites, malaria, sexually transmittable diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, amoebiasis, cough, liver inflammation, stomach-ache, colic and measles. Roasted and powdered bark is applied to burns, ulcers and swellings. The liquid from crushed bark of green stems is used to cure conjunctivitis caused by ''Chlamydia trachomatis'' (trachoma), whereas bark sap is also drunk as an anthelmintic. The bark is also applied against vomiting. Pounded flowers serve to treat dysentery. A maceration of the flower is drunk as an abortifacient, and applied externally to treat earache. Roots are taken to treat peptic ulcers, epilepsy, malaria, blennorrhagia and schistosomiasis. Leaves are taken to treat peptic ulcers; they are also used for treatment of diarrhoea. A leaf decoction serves as an emetic. Leaves are applied externally to wounds and painful joints; they are also applied to treat skin diseases in cattle. Fruit extracts are taken to treat asthma and meningitis.
== Properties ==
''Erythrina'' comprises approximately 120 species: about 30 in continental Africa, 6 in Madagascar, 70 in tropical America and 12 in tropical Asia and Australia.
=== ''Erythrina latissima'' ===''[[Erythrina latissima]]'' E.Mey. from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, eastern South Africa and Swaziland closely resembles ''Erythrina abyssinica'', but has larger leaflets, flowers and seeds. Its wood is undoubtedly used for similar purposes. In traditional medicine the powdered bark of ''Erythrina latissima'' is applied to wounds. The effectiveness is supported by pharmacological research, which showed the presence of antimicrobial flavonoids.
=== ''Erythrina burttii'' ===''[[Erythrina burttii]]'' Baker f. is a small tree up to 15 m tall restricted to Kenya and Tanzania. Its wood is used for stools and camel bells and as fuelwood. The leaves are used for making a tea. The seeds are used in traditional medicine to treat throat pain, and in veterinary medicine to treat cough in camels. Stem bark extracts showed in-vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities, with flavonoids as the active principles.
=== ''Erythrina melanacantha'' ===''[[Erythrina melanacantha]]'' Harms is a small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall, occurring in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Socotra (Yemen). The wood is used to make headrests, stools, jugs, cups and pots. In Ethiopia the roots have been used as famine food and they are a source of potable water. ''Erythrina melanacantha'' is browsed by livestock and is occasionally planted as ornamental. Its fruits are eaten in Ethiopia.
=== ''Erythrina sacleuxii'' ===''[[Erythrina sacleuxii]]'' Hua is a small to medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall, known from Kenya and Tanzania. The wood is used for making headrests and mortars. It also serves as fuelwood and for charcoal making. The tree is planted as an amenity and roadside tree. A root decoction is used to treat gonorrhoea and leprosy. Antiplasmodial flavonoids have been isolated from the bark.
== Anatomy ==
Wood-anatomical description (IAWA hardwood codes):
*Growth rings: 2: growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. *Vessels: 5: wood diffuse-porous; 13: simple perforation plates; 22: intervessel pits alternate; 23: shape of alternate pits polygonal; 26: intervessel pits medium (7–10 μm); 29: vestured pits; 30: vessel-ray pits with distinct borders; similar to intervessel pits in size and shape throughout the ray cell; 43: mean tangential diameter of vessel lumina <font size="1">≥</font> 200 μm; (45: vessels of two distinct diameter classes, wood not ring-porous); 46: <font size="1">≤</font> 5 vessels per square millimetre. *Tracheids and fibres: 61: fibres with simple to minutely bordered pits; 66: non-septate fibres present; 69: fibres thin- to thick-walled. *Axial parenchyma: 85: axial parenchyma bands more than three cells wide; (90: fusiform parenchyma cells); 91: two cells per parenchyma strand. *Rays: 98: larger rays commonly 4- to 10-seriate; (99: larger rays commonly > 10-seriate); 109: rays with procumbent, square and upright cells mixed throughout the ray; 110: sheath cells present; 114: <font size="1">≤</font> 4 rays per mm. *Storied structure: 120: axial parenchyma and/or vessel elements storied. *Mineral inclusions: 136: prismatic crystals present; 142: prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells.
(E. Ebanyenle, A.A. Oteng-Amoako & P. Baas)
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[[Category:PROTA prov]][[Category:Timbers (PROTA)]]
