Burkea Africana

Burkea Africana.jpg

 NAME:  Burkea africana

FAMILY: Caesalpiniaceae

COMMON NAMES: Burkea,wild seriga

LOCAL NAMES: Apasa, orusi, Fula-Fulfulde

USEFUL PART(s): Bark, twigs

GENERAL USES:

  • The wood of the plant is used for heavy construction, flooring, furniture, railway sleepers, poles and so on

  • The wood is used for firewood and to produce charcoal

  • Young leaves and flower are edible and are eaten as vegetables

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

  • Senegal

  • Sudan

  • Uganda

  • Namibia

  • Botswana

  • Mozambique

  • South Africa

  • Nigeria

 

WHY IS IT GREEN?

Burkea africana medicinal values include

  • Septic sores

  • Headache

  • Astringent

  • Fever

  • Cough

  • Catarrh

  • Pneumonia

  • menorrhoea

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

FUN FACT

  • Burkea africana is a  deciduous, attractive tree normally with a scattered, flat crown mainly reaching 10 m tall;  sometimes low shrub, rarel specimens can be about 20 m

  • It is common in deciduous woodland and in wooded grass-like vegetation  at elevations from 40 - 1,740 m

FURTHER READINGS

Eboji, O., Spies, L., Sowemimo, A., Koekemoer, T., Sofidiya, M., & Van de Venter, M. (2016). Cytotoxic Activity Of The Ethanolic Extract Of The Bark Of Burkea Africana Hook. (Caesalpinaceae). Planta Medica, 82(5), PC73. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1578775

Eboji, O., Venables, L., Sowemimo, A. A., Sofidiya, M. O., Koekemoer, T., & Van de Venter, M. (2017). Burkea africana Hook (Caesalpiniaceae) ethanolic extract causes cell cycle arrest at M phase and induces caspase dependent apoptosis. South African Journal of Botany, 112, 361–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2017.06.013