''Boscia angustifolia'' is a shrub or small tree with

lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

leaves commonly found in the

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

zones of Africa, from Senegal moving eastwards to Sudan. It is part of the

Capparaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 15 genera and about 430 species. The largest genera are ''Capparis'' (about 1 ...

family. The plant is also known as the rough-leaved shepherds tree.

Description

It is a smooth, grey barked shrub or small tree that is capable of reaching in height and with a short trunk. It has leaves with simple, alternate arrangement; leaf-blade is lanceolate to oblong outline with a coriaceous and glabrous upper surface, short, fine hairs beneath; it is 1.5-5 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide, petiole is 2-7 mm long. Flowers are greenish to white, terminal or axillary clustered in

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

type of inflorescence. Fruit is spherical berries, about 6-10 mm in diameter.

Distribution

Occurs in the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

and

Sahel The Sahel region (; ), or Sahelian acacia savanna, is a Biogeography, biogeographical region in Africa. It is the Ecotone, transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north. The Sahel has a ...

zones of West Africa, from

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

to Nigeria and eastwards towards the Red Sea where it has been identified in Sudan and Egypt then southwards towards Northern South Africa.

Chemistry

Test on parts of the species identified the methylated flavonoid, ombuin, the carboxylic acid compounds: lactic and quinic acid, and about three nitrogen methyl compounds including 1-methyl imino thieno ,4bnaphthalene.

Uses

The roots are used in decoctions to treat a variety of bacteria infection and other health issues including diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, chest pain and boil. Its leaves and fruit are used to induce purging and to act as a

cholagogue A cholagogue is a substance that is purported by humoral practitioners to encourage the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downward. Deployment is no longer recommended because the biliary purge, like the traditional kidney purge, can c ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15542345 Flora of West Tropical Africa angustifolia