''Sterculia setigera'' is a
deciduous tree species within the
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...
family. It commonly occurs in the
Sahelo-
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
and
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
savannah zones of Tropical Africa. Among the Hausa people it is known as Kukkuki.
It is an important tree crop in
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...
as
Gum karaya obtained from the woody species is exported from the country.
Description
A deciduous tree that is capable of reaching 18 meters in height,
it has an open spreading crown with buttressed base, its grey purple bark peels off in thin, irregular scales
leaving pale patches, while a slash reveals a fibrous, brownish to red inner bark and a white exudate.
Leaves are simple and alternate in arrangement, nerves palmately arranged at base with leaves 5 entire or pointed lobes; leaf-blade is ovate to orbicular in outline, upper surface tends to be stellate and tomentose.
Inflorescence is raceme type, calyx, 5 lobed, up to 12 mm in diameter, outer surface is green while inner surface is purple-red. The flowering period begins towards the end of the dry season between the months of February and April.
Fruit is a sessile follicle, 6-10 cm long,
oblong in shape, grey-green or brown in color and many seeded, follicle can stay on tree even when seeds falls off.
Distribution
Occurs from Senegal eastwards to Sudan and Ethiopia and in Angola, found in the savanna ecological zones, frequently on hill or rocky soils and in shallow gritty soils.
Chemistry
Tests on stem bark extracts of the plant isolated the chemical compound,
lupeol and a class of
Procyanidin trimers.
The sugar properties of the gum obtained from the species consisting of
D-galacturonic acid
-Galacturonic acid is a sugar acid, an oxidized form of -galactose. It is the main component of pectin, in which it exists as the polymer polygalacturonic acid.Debra Mohnen "Pectin structure and biosynthesis" Current Opinion in Plant Biology 20 ...
,
L-rhamnose,
D-galactose is quite similar to those obtained from ''
Sterculia Urens
''Sterculia urens'' is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to India and has been introduced into Burma. A small to medium-sized tree with a pale-coloured trunk, it is commonly known as the ''bhutyā'' ( भुत्या) in ...
''.
Uses
Seeds are eaten by nomadic groups in Northern Nigeria.
A wide spread species, it has multi-purpose functions in various local communities. A decoction of stem bark extracts are used as part of an herbal regimen to treat skin ailments and infections, fever, diarrhea and toothache.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15385221
Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of East Tropical Africa
setigera