Euadenia eminens (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Medicinal
Ornamental

Euadenia eminens Hook.f.

File:Map Euadenia eminens.gif

distribution in Africa (wild)

File:Linedrawing Euadenia eminens.gif

1, flowering and fruiting twig; 2, flower. Source: Flore analytique du Bénin

Protologue: Bot. Mag. 107: t. 6578 (1881).

Family: Capparaceae

Synonyms

• Euadenia alimensis Hua (1895),
• Euadenia pulcherrima Gilg & Benedict (1915).

Origin and geographic distribution

Euadenia eminens occurs from eastern Guinea and Sierra Leone eastward to Uganda and southward to Gabon and DR Congo.

Uses

In West Africa root decoctions are taken to treat anuria and as aphrodisiac, and leaf decoctions to treat anemia, and as anodyne and tonic. The roots are traditionally used in the treatment of eye complaints such as conjunctivitis, iritis and ophthalmia, as well as against earache, tuberculosis and rectal prolapse. They have been used as an ingredient to prepare arrow poison in Central Africa, but also as antidote against poisoning. In Ghana root decoctions are used to treat HIV/AIDS patients as an alternative for standard drugs. Plant sap is applied externally against pain and to treat eye complaints. Fruit pulp is eaten as aphrodisiac. The seeds are used as spice; they have a taste similar to capsicum pepper. Euadenia eminens is occasionally cultivated in greenhouses as ornamental.

Properties

Preliminary screening of Euadenia eminens roots in Ghana showed the presence of glycosides, coumarins, flavonoids, carotenoids and alkaloids. The anti-oxidant activity of root extracts was found to be quite low, but the roots showed anti-inflammatory activity when tested on carrageenan-induced oedema in chicks, as well as selective antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis in vitro.

Description

Evergreen or deciduous shrub up to 4(–5) m tall, usually not branched or little-branched; branches longitudinally fissured. Leaves alternate, compound with (1–)3 leaflets; stipules minute, soon falling; petiole (1.5–)7–20(–25) cm long, broadened at base; petiolules 2–7 mm long; leaflets elliptical to oblanceolate or obovate, the lateral ones asymmetrical, 7–21 cm × 3–10 cm, cuneate at base, usually acuminate at apex, papery, glabrous, pinnately veined with 5–10 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence a terminal lax raceme up to 20 cm long, glabrous, up to 40-flowered. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 4-merous; pedicel up to 7.5 cm long; sepals free, lanceolate to linear, 1–1.5 cm long, unequal; petals free, oblanceolate to linear, unequal, 2 up to 10 cm × 2 cm, other 2 up to 3.5 cm × 0.3 cm, pale greenish yellow to yellow; stamens 4–5, free, 1.5–2.5 cm long, curved, rudimentary stamens (3–)4–6, fused into a linear appendix c. 1 cm long; ovary superior, stalked, narrowly ellipsoid to linear, glabrous, 1-celled, stigma sessile, flattened. Fruit a linear pendent capsule up to 40 cm × 1 cm, with greyish longitudinal lines and dots, slightly constricted between the seeds, many-seeded. Seeds slightly compressed globose to ellipsoid, c. 1 cm long, brownish.

Other botanical information

Euadenia comprises 2, possibly 3, closely related species. Euadenia eminens is sometimes considered to represent 2 separate species: Euadenia eminens Hook.f. sensu stricto in West Africa and Euadenia alimensis Hua from Central Africa and Uganda. The genus is closely related to Crateva.

Euadenia trifoliolata

Euadenia trifoliolata (Schumach. & Thonn.) Oliv. is a shrub or small tree up to 7 m tall, occurring from Côte d’Ivoire to Gabon. It differs from Euadenia eminens in its oblong fruits up to 5.5 cm × 2 cm. It is used for similar medicinal purposes as Euadenia eminens, whereas the roots have also been used in Gabon to prepare arrow poison. The leaves are eaten as a cooked vegetable and in soups, and fresh fruits are occasionally eaten in Côte d’Ivoire. Euadenia brevipetala Exell is only known from one collection in Cabinda (Angola).

Growth and development

In Côte d’Ivoire Euadenia eminens flowers from November to January, and fruits take about 6 months to mature. In Cameroon flowering plants have been found in October–November, in Gabon in December–April and in DR Congo throughout the year.

Ecology

Euadenia eminens occurs in various types of forest. In West Africa it is most common in the undergrowth of deciduous forest including secondary forest, but it also occurs in evergreen forest. In Central Africa it is often found along watercourses, but also in forest gaps and even in plantations. In Uganda it occurs up to 1650 m altitude.

Genetic resources

Euadenia eminens is widespread and occurs in various forest types, and therefore does not seem to be threatened. However, in Cameroon and Gabon it is apparently rare, as is also the case for Euadenia trifoliolata.

Prospects

Little information is available on the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Euadenia spp. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties found in preliminary research are interesting and deserve more research, as well as the reputed anodyne activity. Phytochemical research of the seeds is recommended in view of their use as spice, and this is also the case for the leaves of Euadenia trifoliolata in view of their use as vegetable. Euadenia eminens has been suggested to have prospects as ornamental because of its nice and peculiar flowers. The biosystematics of Euadenia warrant more research because the species delimitations are obscure.

Major references

• Akpabey, R.G., 2006. Studies into plant samples used in preparing decoctions for the management of HIV/AIDS in some local rehabilitation centers. BSc Chemistry degree thesis, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. 38 pp.
• Burkill, H.M., 1985. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 1, Families A–D. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 960 pp.
• Dickson, R.A., Fleischer, T.C., Ekuadzi, E. & Komlaga, G., 2012. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and selective antibacterial effects of Euadenia eminens root bark. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines 9(2): 271–276.
• Kers, L.E., 1987. Capparidaceae. Flore du Gabon. Volume 30. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. pp. 3–68.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 1998. Afrikanische Arzneipflanzen und Jagdgifte. Chemie, Pharmakologie, Toxikologie. 2nd Edition. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart, Germany. 960 pp.

Other references

• Adenubi, O.O., 1997. Evaluation of some plant materials and extracts for biocidal activity against Callosobruchus maculatus. B. Tech Industrial Chemistry degree thesis, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria 50 pp.
• Adjanohoun, E.J. & Aké Assi, L., 1979. Contribution au recensement des plantes médicinales de Côte d’Ivoire. Centre National de Floristique, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. 358 pp.
• Aké Assi, L., Abeye, J., Guinko, S., Riguet, R. & Bangavou, X., 1985. Médecine traditionnelle et pharmacopée - Contribution aux études ethnobotaniques et floristiques en République Centrafricaine. Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, Paris, France. 140 pp.
• Ambe, G.A., 2001. Les fruits sauvages comestibles des savanes guinéennes de Côte d’Ivoire: état de la connaissance par une population locale, les Malinké. Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement 5(1): 43–58.
• de Koning, J., 1983. La forêt de Banco. Part 2: La Flore. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen 83–1. Wageningen, Netherlands. 921 pp.
• Elffers, J., Graham, R.A. & Dewolf, G.P., 1964. Capparidaceae. In: Hubbard, C.E. & Milne-Redhead, E. (Editors). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 88 pp.
• Hauman, L. & Wilczek, R., 1951. Capparidaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., Demaret, F., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Jurion, F., Lebrun, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 2. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 454–521.
• Hawthorne, W. & Jongkind, C., 2006. Woody plants of western African forests: a guide to the forest trees, shrubs and lianes from Senegal to Ghana. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. 1023 pp.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.
• Raponda-Walker, A. & Sillans, R., 1961. Les plantes utiles du Gabon. Paul Lechevalier, Paris, France. 614 pp.

Sources of illustration

• Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (Editors), 2006. Flore analytique du Bénin. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, Netherlands. 1034 pp.

Author(s)

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2013. Euadenia eminens Hook.f. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). Prota 11(2): Medicinal plants/Plantes médicinales 2. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 22 April 2026.

• See this page on the Prota4U database.