Terminalia laxiflora (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Dye / tannin
Medicinal
Timber
Fuel
Fibre

Terminalia laxiflora Engl. & Diels

File:Map Terminalia laxiflora.gif

distribution in Africa (wild)

Protologue: Engl., Monogr. afrik. Pflanzen-Fam. 4: 12, t. 2B (1900).

Family: Combretaceae

Origin and geographic distribution

Terminalia laxiflora is widely distributed from Senegal and Gambia eastward to western Ethiopia and Uganda, and southward to north-eastern DR Congo.

Uses

Pulverized bark is applied to wounds, yaws and haemorrhoids because of its haemostatic and healing effects. Bark decoctions are used in a bath to treat haemorrhoids and are taken as diuretic. In Sudan the bark has been used in the treatment of malaria. Root decoctions are taken to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and jaundice, and applied to itchy eyes. Leaf extracts are also used against diarrhoea, whereas extracts of various plant parts are administered to treat tuberculosis and cough. In veterinary medicine, bark decoctions are used as anthelmintic in cattle and to treat eye diseases in livestock.

The wood is used for poles in construction, for utensils such as mortars, as firewood and for charcoal production. A brown dye can be prepared from the roots; it has been used for dyeing cloths. Roots are used as chew-sticks. The flowers are much visited by honey bees.

Properties

From the wood the triterpene terminolic acid, and ellagic acid, trimethylellagic acid and tetramethylellagic acid have been isolated. Ellagic acid may be responsible for the haemostatic activity of the bark. The presence of flavonoids and tannins has been demonstrated for the leaves. Bark and root extracts showed antibacterial activity, and leaf extracts antifungal activity. The pale brown heartwood is fairly distinctly demarcated from the about 5 cm wide, yellowish sapwood with a greenish tinge. The wood has a moderately coarse texture, and is heavy and hard.

Adulterations and substitutes

Other Terminalia species are often used for similar medicinal purposes and it is difficult to differentiate between the dried stem barks from different species found in the local markets.

Description

Deciduous small tree up to 15 m tall; bole often crooked and low-branching, up to 50 cm in diameter; bark surface deeply fissured, dark grey to brownish grey, inner bark thick, fibrous, dull red-brown; crown open, with spreading branches; twigs very soon becoming glabrous, purplish. Leaves arranged spirally, simple and entire; stipules absent; petiole (2–) 3–5(–10) cm long; blade elliptical to obovate, 10–30 cm × 3–11 cm, rounded to cuneate at base, rounded to obtuse or short-acuminate at apex, papery or thin-leathery, usually glabrous, pinnately veined with 9–17 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence an axillary spike 9–15 cm long, glabrous or short-hairy. Flowers bisexual or male, regular, 5-merous, c. 5 mm in diameter, creamy white, scented; calyx with glabrous to hairy tube and 5 lobes; corolla absent; stamens 10, exserted; ovary inferior, 1-celled. Fruit an oblong to ellipsoid winged nut 5–9 cm × 2–3.5 cm including the large wing, glabrous, yellowish brown, indehiscent, 1-seeded.

Other botanical information

Terminalia is a pantropical genus of about 200 species. In tropical mainland Africa about 30 species occur naturally, in Madagascar about 35.

Growth and development

Flowering of trees is often in the second half of the dry season, often just after the development of new foliage. In Ethiopia trees flower in June to September and ripe fruits develop 2–4 months after flowering.

Ecology

Terminalia laxiflora is widespread in deciduous woodland and bushy grassland up to 2200 m altitude. The mean annual rainfall in its area of distribution in Ethiopia is reported to be 1400–2000 mm, but elsewhere it can be much less. It often occurs near rivers and can be found on a wide variety of soil types, also in poorly drained localities. The thick, corky bark makes the tree quite fire-resistant.

Propagation and planting

The germination rate of seed is highly variable, ranging from 0% to 70%, even when the seeds have been treated with sulphuric acid. This is partly due to dormancy of the seed, but also to damage by insects. The seeds can be stored for considerable periods of time if they are well dried and protected against insects.

Diseases and pests

Seeds are susceptible to attack by various insects.

Genetic resources

Terminalia laxiflora is widespread and fairly common, although trees often occur scattered. It does not seem to be threatened by genetic erosion.

The genetic variation of Terminalia laxiflora trees in the Blue Nile State in Sudan was examined using the RAPD marker method; it was demonstrated to be high.

Prospects

Terminalia laxiflora has a fairly wide range of medicinal uses in African traditional medicine, but has hardly been subject to pharmacological research. The development of techniques for sustainable harvesting are advisable because mainly bark and wood are used in traditional medicine, which may easily harm the tree. It has been recommended to select seed trees with high germination rates for afforestation programmes because of the high genetic variation.

Major references

• Arbonnier, M., 2004. Trees, shrubs and lianas of West African dry zones. CIRAD, Margraf Publishers Gmbh, MNHN, Paris, France. 573 pp.
• Bekele-Tesemma, A., 2007. Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia: identification, propagation and management for 17 agroclimatic zones. Technical Manual No 6. RELMA in ICRAF Project, Nairobi, Kenya. 552 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.
• Mamoun, M., Mahagoub, S. & Hamza, N., 2009. Genetic variation among Terminalia laxiflora (Engl. and Diels) trees within one population in the Blue Nile-Sudan trees. Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology 7(1): 1–4.
• Wickens, G.E., 1973. Combretaceae. In: Polhill, R.M. (Editor). Flora of Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. 99 pp.

Other references

• Batawila, K., Kokou, K., Koumaglo, K., Gbeassor, M., de Foucault, B., Bouchet, P. & Akpagana, K., 2005. Antifungal activities of five Combretaceae used in Togolese traditional medicine. Fitoterapia 76(2): 264–268.
• Burkill, H.M., 2000. The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. 2nd Edition. Volume 5, Families S–Z, Addenda. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom. 686 pp.
• Djoueche, C.M., Azebaze, A.B. & Dongmo, A.B., 2011. Investigation of plants used for the ethnoveterinary control of gastrointestinal parasites in Bénoué Region, Cameroon. Tropicultura 29(4): 205–211.
• Ekong, D.E.U. & Idemudia, O.G., 1967. Constituents of some West African members of the genus Terminalia. Journal of the Chemical Society C: Organic 1967: 863–864.
• Liben, L., 1968. Combretaceae. In: Flore du Congo, du Ruanda et du Burundi. Spermatophytes. Jardin botanique national de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium. 109 pp.
• Mahmoud, M.A., Khidir, M.O., Khalifa, M.A., Bashir el Amadi, A.M., Musnad, H.A.R. & Mohamed, E.T.I., 1995. Sudan: Country Report to the FAO International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources (Leipzig 1996). Khartoum, Sudan. 86 pp.
• Neuwinger, H.D., 2000. African traditional medicine: a dictionary of plant use and applications. Medpharm Scientific, Stuttgart, Germany. 589 pp.
• Sommerlatte, H. & Sommerlatte, M., 1990. A field guide to the trees and shrubs of the Imatong Mountains, southern Sudan. Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammmenarbeit (GTZ), Nairobi, Kenya. 372 pp.
• Taïta, P., 2000. La biodiversité des espèces spontanées utilisées dans l’alimentation et la pharmacopée dans la région de la réserve de biosphère de la Mare aux Hippopotames. In: Actes du Forum National de la Recherche Scientifique et des Innovations Technologiques (FRSIT), 3–8 avril 2000, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Tome 2. Sécurité alimentaire. pp. 77–95.
• Vollesen, K., 1995. Combretaceae. In: Edwards, S., Mesfin Tadesse & Hedberg, I. (Editors). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Volume 2, part 2. Canellaceae to Euphorbiaceae. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Department of Systematic Botany, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. pp. 115–132.

Author(s)

• H.S. Foyet, Department of Agriculture, Livestock and By-products, The Higher institute of the Sahel, University of Maroua, P.O. Box 46, Maroua, Cameroon
• P. Nana, School of Wood, Water and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Ebolowa Campus, P.O. Box 786, Ebolowa, Cameroon

Correct citation of this article

Foyet, H.S. & Nana, P., 2013. Terminalia laxiflora Engl. & Diels. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). Prota 11(2): Medicinal plants/Plantes médicinales 2. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 17 September 2026.

• See this page on the Prota4U database.