Kampala Tree and Palm Directory

Tree Species
Common Name
Tree Description
Tree Uses

English: East African green wood, Kenya greenheart, Pepper-barktree, East African greenheart, Luganda:Mukuzanume Luganda, dialect Buddu:Muwiya Lusoga: Balwegira Runyankore: Mwiha Runyoro: Musizambuzi Rutoro:Muharami

+ Tree Species

Warbugia ugandensis

+ Tree Family

Canellaceae

+ Ecology

East African green wood is indigenous to Uganda. A widely distributed tree in lower rain forest and drier highland forest areas of East Africa, 1-2,000 m. In Uganda, it grows in colonizing forest, forest edges and thickets, often on dry sites. It is widely distributed and abundant in Maramagambo Forest. In Kampala, this tree species can be found within Uganda Golf course club, Makerere university, along Lugogo bypass among other places.

+ Description

An evergreen tree to 25 m with a dense leafy canopy.

BARK: rough brown-black, cracked into rectangular scales.

LEAVES: shiny dark green above, midrib very clear below, edge wavy, to 10 cm long.

FLOWERS: inconspicuous green-cream.

FRUIT: round to egg-shaped, to 5 cm long on short stalks, green to purple with a waxy, white surface. Several flat heart-shaped seeds inside a pulp.

+ Uses

Edible: fruit is eaten, leaves and seeds are sometimes used to add flavour to curries.http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Warburgia+ugandensis

Medicine: the bark, fresh roots, and leaves. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Warburgia+ugandensis

The wood makes good timber for building and making furniture.

The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal.

Agroforestry: fallen leaves provide green manure and mulch, leaves, pods and seeds are fed to animals, crown provides shade.

An ornamental tree.

The heartwood contains sesquiterpenoids that can be used against army worms, which are widely occurring African crop pests.

A resin obtained from the stem is used as a glue.

+ Propagation

Cuttings, seeds, wildings.

+ Management

Fairly slow growing; coppicing.

+ Remarks

After seasoning, the heartwood develops a slight greenish color which fades with exposure to light. The wood, though hard and heavy, is not durable in the ground and not termite resistant. It has high oil content. The leaves, bark, young shoots and fruit can be used in curries, and roots are used for soup. It can also be inter-cropped for shade in coffee, banana and cocoa plantations.



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