Strychnos usambarensis is a shrub or small tree up to 15m tall or a 70m long liane of Sub-Saharan Africa, occurring in forest and woodland, mountain ravines and coastal bush, often on rocky slopes and named for the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. The species is found from Guinea east to Nigeria, from Congo east to Kenya and south to kloofs of the Magaliesberg of South Africa. Bantu tribes from Rwanda and Tanzania produce an arrow poison from the root bark and leaves of this species, sometimes combining it with extracts from other plants. (see Toxalbumin)
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it poisonous?
Toxic. The note covers its whole genus. Strychnine in seeds Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Strychnos decussata — toxic
- Myrciaria floribunda
- Memecylon pauciflorum
- Gossia gonoclada
- Strychnos psilosperma — toxic
- Cryptocarya woodii
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Loganiaceae
- Genus
- Strychnos
- Species
- Strychnos usambarensis
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