Common Name:

General Information

Pleioceras barteri is an evergreen erect or climbing shrub, sometimes becoming a small tree; it can grow up to 4 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use and as a source of stuffing material for cushions. It is sometimes traded for medicinal purposes in local markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Nigeria and Cameroon.

Habitat

Forest, bush or open localities, mostly near the coast, up to 500 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Pleioceras barteri flowers throughout the year[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark, fruit and, more frequently, the seeds are used as an emmenagogue to promote menses. A strong dose is abortifacient and careless usage may cause death. Nevertheless it is taken by women once or twice a month during late pregnancy because it is believed to induce the turning down of the head of the baby[, ].

The bark, crushed together with the fruit of Ricinodendron heudelotii, is applied to boils in the groin to hasten maturation[, ].

A decoction of the root is used as a vaginal douche to treat female sterility[].

A plaster of leaves is applied against rheumatism[, ].

The fruit pericarp, prepared as an ointment, is used to treat nosebleed[].

The plant is also used in traditional medicine to treat malaria[]. A bolus of the crushed plant is placed in the vagina to treat vaginal malformation[].
The ash of dried and burnt whole plants is applied against burns[].

Pleioceras barteri contains alkaloids, saponins, tannins and flavonoids. The seeds are the most toxic part of the plant with total alkaloids amounting to 0.3%. The fruit wall contains 0.1% and the root bark 0.01% alkaloids[].
The leaves contain 0.6% ursolic acid; this compound has anti-infective properties[].
The plant has shown antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria. The methanol extract is active against several pathogenic bacteria, with Bacillus subtilis being most susceptible. The extracts showed limited activity against fungi[].
The stem, stem bark, root bark, seed and fruit extracts showed abortifacient properties and depressant or stimulant effects on the central nervous system[].
Secondary amines (including alkylamine, dimethylamine, diethylamine and ethylaniline) have been isolated from the roots. The use of this plant could thus result in the accumulation of amines in the body, which could lead to the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines[].

Other Uses

The seed floss is sometimes used as a stuffing material for cushions[].

Propagation

Seed -

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