Plants known by Tiv names — part 4 of 10 (Gbur to Ichigh ki mkungu), 389 plants in all. Each entry gives the English and scientific names where they are known, a description, and what the archive records of the plant’s medicinal, food and ritual uses and how it is grown.
Wavy Quassia
Hannoa undulata Formerly classified as Hannoa undulata.
- Description
- Quassia undulata is a bitter, quassinoid-rich tree of West and Central Africa, widely used in traditional medicine and valued ecologically as a fire-resistant savanna species. The plant is a fast-growing shrub or medium-sized tree with smooth grey bark, compound leaves, small white flowers, and dark purple-black drupes.
- Medicinal uses
- The bark, roots, and stems are intensely bitter and traditionally used to treat malaria, fever, digestive disorders, infections, and certain neurological or musculoskeletal conditions, supported by bioactive quassinoids.
- As food
- Although not a staple food plant, parts of the fruit and seed cake are occasionally consumed, while the oil-rich seeds are used for soap, cosmetics, insecticides, and biodiesel.
- Ritual uses
- The plant plays a role in traditional treatments for mental or spiritual afflictions and in infant care practices aimed at preventing infections.
- Cultivation
- Quassia undulata thrives in sunny savanna habitats and is propagated by fresh seed with rapid germination, but is rarely cultivated beyond traditional use.
Red silk cotton tree; Red kapok; African bombax
Bombax buonopozense
- Description
- A tall flowering tree with striking red blossoms, whose edible floral parts are eaten as a vegetable in North Central Nigeria.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves treat arthritis in southwest Nigeria; floral extracts show antimicrobial activity, and leaf extracts show anti-diarrhoeal activity.
- As food
- The slimy sepals are dried and used as a soup ingredient by some communities.
- Cultivation
- A tall forest and savanna-margin tree, also a source of fibre, building material, and dye.
Red-flowered silk-cotton tree, red kapok tree, Gambia silk-cotton tree
Bombax costatum
- Description
- Bombax costatum is a highly versatile, drought-resistant tree native to the savannas and dry woodlands of West Africa (Senegal to Cameroon). It is a key multi-purpose tree used extensively for food, traditional medicine, and, to a lesser extent, fiber and timber.
- Medicinal uses
- Among the Tiv people, Bombax costatum is an important medicinal tree, with bark, roots, and leaves used for a wide range of treatments. The bark is commonly prepared as a decoction for skin diseases, diarrhea, and dysentery, and is also applied to wounds to promote healing. Bark preparations are taken as a diuretic and used for fever, body pain, abscesses, and hernia. The roots are used in remedies for epileptic conditions and as a tonic to restore strength and reduce fatigue. The leaves are used for treating headaches, jaundice, and measles, and are applied externally as an emollient to soothe the skin. In ethnoveterinary practice, pounded leaves are used to manage retained placenta in livestock and as a traditional treatment for snake bites.
- As food
- Flowers dried and cooked as soup
- Cultivation
- Primarily via direct seeding, though wildlings are also used.
Ordeal tree, Sasswood tree, Red-water tree, Sassy-bark tree
Erythrophleum suaveolens
- Description
- Erythrophleum suaveolens is a highly toxic African tree traditionally used in controlled medicinal practices but best known for its historical role in ordeal rituals and its potent poisonous properties.
- Medicinal uses
- In very small and carefully controlled doses, parts of the tree are used to treat pain, infections, rheumatism, and parasites, though internal use is extremely dangerous due to high toxicity.
- As food
- The plant is not edible and is mainly associated with food-related practices only as a traditional fish poison.
- Ritual uses
- Historically, the bark was used in ordeal trials to determine guilt, as well as for arrow poisons, insecticides, and protective applications.
- Cultivation
- The tree grows in savanna and forest zones, can be propagated by seed or cuttings, and is sometimes included in reforestation despite its slow growth and toxic nature.
Kolanut tree; Gbanja kola; Hausa kola.
Cola nitida
- Description
- An evergreen forest tree whose seeds (kola nuts) are chewed as a mild stimulant and offered as a mark of welcome.
- Medicinal uses
- Chewed to relieve fatigue and suppress hunger and thirst; used traditionally to aid digestion.
- As food
- The nut is chewed fresh — bitter at first, sweetening afterward.
- Ritual uses
- Breaking and sharing kola nut is a widespread Nigerian hospitality and covenant gesture, offered to guests and used to open negotiations and ceremonies.
- Cultivation
- A shade-tolerant forest tree that begins bearing after several years and can produce for decades.
Cola; Bitter kola; Water kola
Cola laurifolia
- Description
- A riverine tree related to the kola nut tree, growing along watercourses across West and Central Africa.
- Cultivation
- A tree of riverbanks and swamp forest.
Guava
Psidium guajava
- Description
- A fast-growing evergreen tree/shrub (3–10 m) with thin coppery bark, opposite leathery leaves, fragrant white flowers, and round to pear-shaped fleshy fruits with numerous seeds.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves, bark, roots, and fruit used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, diabetes, respiratory issues, wounds, oral health problems, and menstrual disorders, thanks to bioactive compounds like flavonoids and tannins.
- As food
- Fruits eaten fresh, in salads, juices, jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, and smoothies; young leaves sometimes used as medicinal tea.
- Ritual uses
- Used in traditional medicine and cleansing rituals, leaves as livestock fodder, and wood for tools, posts, firewood, and smoking meat.
- Cultivation
- Thrives in tropical/subtropical climates, adaptable to various soils, propagated via cuttings, grafting, or seeds, spaced 5–6 m apart, drought-resistant, pruned for fruiting, and begins bearing in 2–3 years.
Waterleaf; Lagos spinach; Philippine spinach
Talinum triangulare
- Description
- A soft-leaved, fast-growing annual vegetable widely eaten across Nigeria and West Africa.
- Medicinal uses
- Valued as a nutrient-dense leafy tonic food, rich in iron and vitamins; used to support recovery and general health.
- As food
- Leaves are cooked into soup, either alone or combined with other vegetables; also eaten as a salad green.
- Cultivation
- Grows quickly from cuttings in moist, fertile soil; can be harvested repeatedly.
Physic nut; Purging nut; Barbados nut
Jatropha curcas
- Description
- A drought-tolerant shrub whose oil-rich seeds are toxic if eaten but valuable for soap-making and biodiesel.
- Medicinal uses
- Sap is applied to wounds as an antiseptic; seed oil is used externally for skin conditions. Seeds themselves are purgative and toxic if eaten — not for informal internal use.
- Cultivation
- A hardy shrub often planted as a living fence; tolerates poor soils and drought.
African mahogany, Dry zone mahogany, Senegal mahogany, Gambia mahogany.
Khaya senegalensis
- Description
- Khaya senegalensis is a valuable, multipurpose tree species native to the savanna regions of West Africa, widely recognized for its high-quality timber and extensive medicinal applications.
- Medicinal uses
- The extremely bitter bark is widely used as a decoction to treat malaria, fever, digestive disorders, wounds, skin infections, venereal diseases, jaundice, rheumatism, and worms in both humans and livestock, though excessive use can be toxic.
- As food
- Seed oil is used for cooking, the bark may be added in small amounts as a bitter medicinal stimulant, and the leaves serve as livestock fodder during the dry season.
- Ritual uses
- It is regarded as a powerful ritual tree, used in spiritual practices, dyeing cloth, cosmetics, arrow and fish poison preparation, and valued for its durable timber in furniture and boat building.
- Cultivation
- The plant is mainly propagated by fresh seeds sown soon after collection, which germinate quickly and reliably, with ongoing studies on stem cuttings to support domestication.
African mahogany; Dry zone mahogany; Senegal mahogany
Khaya senegalensis
- Description
- A tall evergreen timber tree of the Sahel and Sudan savanna, one of West Africa's most important medicinal trees.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark is used as a tonic and fever medicine, a chewing stick for toothache, and for diarrhoea, dysentery, and malaria — widely known as “African quinine.” Popular among the Nupe, Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani of Nigeria.
- Cultivation
- A slow-growing timber tree of savanna woodland, valued commercially for its wood.
Benin mahogany; Broad-leaved African mahogany
Khaya grandifoliola
- Description
- A tall forest mahogany closely related to Khaya senegalensis, valued for both timber and traditional medicine.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark is used similarly to related Khaya species for fever and as a bitter tonic; documentation specific to this species is thinner than for K. senegalensis.
- Cultivation
- A forest timber tree of the Guinea forest zone.
Combretum; Savanna combretum
Combretum adenogonium
- Description
- A savanna tree of the Combretaceae family, related to the other Combretum species already in the archive.
- Medicinal uses
- Combretum species are widely used across West Africa for wound care, stomach complaints, and fever; documentation specific to this species was not found.
- Cultivation
- A savanna woodland tree.
Simple-leaved vitex; Wild vitex
Vitex simplicifolia
- Description
- A savanna shrub or small tree in the same genus as the widely used chaste-tree (Vitex agnus-castus).
- Cultivation
- A shrub or small tree of savanna woodland.
Calopo; Carpet grass legume
Calopogonium mucunoides
- Description
- A fast-growing, mat-forming legume used across the tropics as a soil-improving cover crop.
- As food
- Grazed and made into hay or silage, though palatability is low — livestock eat it mainly when little else is available.
- Cultivation
- A vigorous, nitrogen-fixing cover crop that protects soil and suppresses weeds under plantation trees.
Sandpaper leaf fig; Forest sandpaper fig
Ficus exasperata
- Description
- A fig tree with rough, sandpaper-textured leaves traditionally used for scouring and polishing.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves, bark, and roots are used across West Africa for hypertension, difficult childbirth, rheumatism, cough, ulcers, and wounds; the abrasive leaves are also used to scarify skin before applying medicine.
- As food
- The fruit is edible and is chewed to relieve indigestion.
- Cultivation
- A forest and farmland tree; the dried leaves are used as sandpaper for woodworking and to scour cooking utensils.
Spiny monkey orange; Natal orange; Kaffir orange
Strychnos spinosa
- Description
- A thorny shrub or small tree bearing a hard-shelled, orange-like fruit, widely gathered as food across Africa.
- Medicinal uses
- Used across Africa for venereal disease, stomach ailments, snakebite, malaria, and skin conditions.
- As food
- The ripe fruit pulp is eaten fresh, valued for its carbohydrate, protein, and mineral content.
- Cultivation
- A thorny shrub/small tree of savanna woodland.
Sycamore fig; Mulberry fig
Ficus sycomorus
- Description
- A large spreading fig tree bearing fruit directly on its trunk and branches, one of Africa's most recognisable wild fig trees.
- As food
- The fig-like fruit is eaten, though it is smaller and less sweet than the cultivated fig.
- Cultivation
- A large shade tree, often found near water; historically also used for dugout canoes.
Sugar cane; Sugarcane
Saccharum officinarum
- Description
- A tall perennial grass grown for the sweet juice in its thick stems, one of the world's major sugar crops.
- As food
- Stems are chewed raw for their juice, or the juice is pressed and boiled down into syrup or sugar.
- Cultivation
- Grown from stem cuttings in fertile, well-watered soil; harvested by cutting the mature cane at the base.
Red-leaved Fig or Red-leaved Rock Fig
Ficus ingens
- Description
- Ficus ingens is a hardy African fig species notable for its striking red young leaves, rock-splitting growth habit, and ecological importance in dry, rocky landscapes.
- Medicinal uses
- Different parts of the plant are traditionally used to treat anemia, gastrointestinal disorders, malaria, and infections, with studies indicating antioxidant, analgesic, and hepatoprotective properties.
- As food
- The figs are edible and sometimes used as famine food, though they are generally less palatable to humans while being an important food source for wildlife.
- Ritual uses
- The tree has strong cultural significance, famously exemplified by the historic “inhabited fig tree” of South Africa, which once supported multiple dwellings.
- Cultivation
- Ficus ingens thrives in sunny, dry, rocky environments, is drought- and frost-tolerant once established, and should be planted away from structures due to its invasive root system.
Red-leaved fig; Large-leaved rock fig
Ficus ingens
- Description
- A rock-loving fig tree named for the reddish colour of its young leaves.
- Medicinal uses
- The milky latex is used as a traditional antiseptic, applied to wounds in place of iodine.
- As food
- The edible fruit is gathered from the wild.
- Cultivation
- Often grows directly on rock outcrops, its roots splitting into crevices; also grown ornamentally.
African peach, Pin cushion tree, Guinea peach, Sierra Leone peach.
Sarcocephalus latifolius
- Description
- Sarcocephalus latifolius, commonly called African peach, is a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree widely revered in African traditional medicine, especially for treating malaria and fever.
- Medicinal uses
- All parts of the plant are extensively used in African ethnomedicine to treat malaria, fever, digestive disorders, pain, infections, and chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
- As food
- The ripe fruit is eaten raw or processed into juice, while the aromatic flower heads are sometimes cooked and consumed as a vegetable.
- Ritual uses
- It is used in rituals for protection against enemies.
- Cultivation
- The plant thrives in tropical savanna environments and is easily propagated by seeds or stem cuttings, making it valuable for agroforestry, erosion control, and traditional farming systems.
Watermelon; Egusi melon
Citrullus lanatus
- Description
- A sprawling vine grown for its large, water-rich fruit and for its protein-rich seeds, used two different ways depending on the variety.
- Medicinal uses
- Seeds are valued as a nutritious protein and oil source, especially in seasons when other protein foods are scarce.
- As food
- Sweet varieties are eaten fresh as fruit; bitter/seed varieties are grown specifically for their egusi-type seeds, ground to thicken soup.
- Cultivation
- A warm-season vine needing sandy, well-drained soil and consistent moisture while fruiting.
Beautiful grewia; Grewia
Grewia venusta
- Description
- A shrub or small tree in the Grewia genus, several species of which produce edible fruit across African savanna.
- Cultivation
- A shrub or small tree of savanna and bushland.
Goat weed; Billy goat weed; Tropical whiteweed
Ageratum conyzoides
- Description
- A common annual weed with small clusters of pale purple or white flowers, found nearly worldwide in the tropics.
- Medicinal uses
- Widely used across Africa and Asia for wound-healing, as an antiseptic, and for fever and stomach complaints.
- Cultivation
- A fast-spreading weed of disturbed ground, farmland edges, and waste land.
Black Plum, African Black Plum, Chocolate Berry
- Description
- Vitex doniana, commonly known as the Black Plum or African Black Plum, is a versatile African tree used for food, timber, and traditional medicine, treating ailments like fever, pain, digestive issues (diarrhea, colic), fertility problems, skin conditions (rashes, leprosy), and eye infections (conjunctivitis) with its leaves, bark, roots, and fruits.
- Medicinal uses
- Medicinal Uses (Traditional)
Fever & Pain: Leaf and bark decoctions for headaches, fever, stomach aches, inflammation, rheumatism, and backache.
Digestive Issues: Treats diarrhea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, colic, and indigestion.
Fertility & Women's Health: Used for sterility, as a tonic, and to improve fertility.
Skin & Eyes: Pounded leaves applied to wounds, burns, measles rashes, or as eyewash for conjunctivitis.
Respiratory: Remedies for coughs and colds.
Other: Used for epilepsy, leprosy, and as an anti-malarial.
Food: Edible, sweet fruit used for juice, jam, and wine; seeds can be roasted as a coffee substitute; leaves eaten as a vegetable.
- As food
- Tender leaves as vegetable,
ripe fruits eaten
Bersama abyssinica
- Description
- An evergreen shrub or small tree found across sub-Saharan Africa, used throughout its range in traditional medicine.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves, bark, and root are used across Africa for diarrhoea, wounds, fever, eye disease, and urinary tract infections. All parts of the plant are toxic — not for informal use, as poisoning in humans and livestock has been documented.
- Cultivation
- An evergreen shrub/small tree of forest and woodland margins.
White crossberry, Raisin bush
Grewia tenax
- Description
- Grewia tenax is a drought-hardy shrub or small tree widely valued in arid regions for its nutritious fruits, medicinal uses, and role in food security.
- Medicinal uses
- The fruits, bark, roots, and wood are traditionally used to treat anemia, digestive disorders, bone injuries, infections, fever, and reproductive health issues.
- As food
- The fruits are eaten fresh, dried, or processed into juice and porridge, while young leaves are occasionally consumed as a vegetable.
- Ritual uses
- he plant serves as an important famine food, features in Ramadan beverages, and provides materials for tools, ropes, and fuel.
- Cultivation
- It is propagated mainly from seed, thrives in full sun and poor soils, tolerates severe drought, and fits well into agroforestry systems.
Lavender Crossberry
Grewia venusta
- Description
- Grewia venusta is a flowering shrub or small tree native to parts of Africa, including Southern and Southeastern regions. It is characterized by attractive lavender to violet, star-shaped flowers and belongs to the genus Grewia, many of which are known for mucilage production and medicinal value.
- Medicinal uses
- The species is primarily valued for its ethnomedicinal properties:
Anti-inflammatory & Antimicrobial Uses: Traditionally used to manage infections and inflammatory conditions.
General Healthcare: Various plant parts are employed in local medicine for treating specific ailments, though many uses remain under-researched scientifically.
Stem Bark Uses: Bark preparations are used to treat stomach aches and syphilis (a use commonly associated with Grewia species).
Mucilage-Based Therapy:
The stem bark yields approximately 18% mucilage.
Contains bioactive compounds such as tannins (≈0.07%), saponins (≈0.21%), and flavonoids (≈0.06%).
These constituents support its traditional medicinal applications.
- As food
- Natural Food Additive: The extracted mucilage is used as a natural stabilizer, thickener, or binder in food processing.
Culinary Applications: Applied in the preparation of fried snacks (e.g., Bambara groundnut cake / Akara), improving texture and sponginess.
Fruit Consumption: Small rounded fruits are likely eaten fresh, as is common with many Grewia species, though this use is less documented than its mucilage applications.
- Ritual uses
- Ritual Use: No specific ritual or spiritual uses are clearly documented for Grewia venusta.
Primary Significance: Its importance is mainly medicinal, nutritional, and functional (mucilage production).
- Cultivation
- Vegetative Propagation:
Commonly propagated using less woody, leafless stem cuttings approximately 30 cm long.
Related Species Practices:
Other Grewia species are propagated via seeds or semi-hardwood cuttings, sometimes with rooting hormones, suggesting similar potential methods for G. venusta.
Red gardenia; Savanna gardenia
Gardenia erubescens
- Description
- A savanna shrub bearing yellow fruit, gathered from the wild across the Sudanian savanna belt.
- Medicinal uses
- Fruits are used in herbal medicine for obesity, diabetes, gonorrhoea, and abdominal pain.
- As food
- Fruits are eaten raw or cooked, or worked into maize/millet paste and couscous dishes.
- Cultivation
- A wild shrub of savanna woodland, not commonly cultivated.
Erubescens edible gardenia
Gardenia erubescens
- Description
- A shrub or small tree that can grow up to about 10 meters tall.
Produces fragrant white flowers that often turn yellow as they age.
Bears edible fruits with a sweet to slightly acidic pulp.
Native to tropical Africa, where it occurs in woodlands and savanna regions.
- Medicinal uses
- Different parts of the plant (roots, bark, leaves, and fruits) are traditionally used for treating various ailments, though scientific evidence for many of these uses is still being studied
- As food
- The ripe fruit is edible and eaten fresh in many African communities.
Many-anthered maranthes; African cherry
Maranthes polyandra
- Description
- A savanna tree valued across West Africa for its medicinal bark and roots.
- Medicinal uses
- Roots are used for ulcers and syphilis; bark treats kwashiorkor, fever, and general pain, and is used as a pregnancy tonic and wound/fracture treatment. Also a leading herders' remedy for cattle trypanosomiasis in northern Benin.
- Cultivation
- A savanna tree, also harvested for timber and tannins; seed oil is used cosmetically.
Mobola plum; Rough-skinned plum
Parinari curatellifolia
- Description
- A savanna tree bearing a strawberry-flavoured fruit, an important wild food across Africa.
- Medicinal uses
- Used for toothache, pneumonia, fever, fractures, and wounds; root extracts treat cataracts and earache; seed extracts treat dysentery.
- As food
- The ripe fruit is eaten raw, cooked, or made into juice or jam; oil-rich seeds are roasted, boiled, or ground for use in soups.
- Cultivation
- A wild savanna tree, not commonly cultivated.
Shea butter tree; Karité; Shea
Vitellaria paradoxa
- Description
- A long-lived savanna tree whose nuts yield shea butter, one of West Africa's most economically important wild trees.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark, leaves, and butter are used across West Africa for skin conditions, wound care, and as a carrier for other remedies.
- As food
- Nuts are processed into shea butter, used in cooking as well as cosmetically.
- Cultivation
- A slow-growing wild tree, rarely cultivated deliberately — most shea trees are protected in farmland rather than planted.
Guinea savanna grass; Loudetia
Loudetia arundinacea
- Description
- A tall perennial grass of the Guinea savanna, part of the tussock-grass cover of open woodland.
- Cultivation
- Grows wild in savanna grassland.
White-seeded melon; Egusi melon; Wild melon
Cucumeropsis mannii
- Description
- A trailing vine grown specifically for its flat, cream-white seeds — the source of true egusi in much of Nigeria.
- Medicinal uses
- The bitter fruit flesh is sometimes included in traditional wellness preparations (agbo).
- As food
- Seeds are ground to thicken egusi soup, pressed for oil, or dehulled and eaten as a snack; a major protein source.
- Cultivation
- A trailing annual vine grown for its seed, harvested after the fruit is left to rot and the seeds extracted.
Muskmelon; Cantaloupe; Melon
Cucumis melo
- Description
- A trailing vine grown for its sweet, aromatic fruit, cultivated in countless varieties worldwide.
- As food
- The ripe fruit is eaten fresh as a dessert melon.
- Cultivation
- A warm-season vine needing well-drained soil and full sun.
Muskmelon; Cantaloupe; Melon
Cucumis melo
- Description
- A trailing vine grown for its sweet, aromatic fruit, cultivated in countless varieties worldwide.
- As food
- The ripe fruit is eaten fresh as a dessert melon.
- Cultivation
- A warm-season vine needing well-drained soil and full sun.
Key lime; West Indian lime; Mexican lime
Citrus aurantifolia
- Description
- A small thorny citrus tree bearing small, green, very acidic fruit known as the key or Mexican lime.
- Medicinal uses
- Fruit juice is used traditionally for coughs, colds, and fevers, and as a source of vitamin C; leaves are used in local remedies for digestive complaints.
- As food
- The juice and rind are widely used to flavor drinks, foods, and preserves.
- Cultivation
- Propagated from seed or grafting; a small tree needing a warm climate, sensitive to frost.
Water lettuce, Water cabbage, Nile cabbage, Shellflower, Tropical duckweed.
Pistia stratiotes
- Description
- Pistia stratiotes is a free-floating, stoloniferous aquatic herb from the Araceae family, known as water lettuce. While ornamental in aquariums, it is highly invasive in tropical and subtropical regions. It has a long history of medicinal and traditional uses in Africa, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine.
- Medicinal uses
- Skin Diseases: Leaf extract or paste used for eczema, leprosy, ringworm, ulcers, and burns.
Respiratory & Digestive: Treats tuberculosis, asthma, dysentery, cough.
Other Uses: Diuretic, treatment of piles, eyewash.
Active Compounds: Antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
- As food
- Consumed in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, mainly in famine situations.
Leaves cooked (boiled or in soups), mild cabbage-like flavor.
- Ritual uses
- Powdered leaves used to treat wounds, sores, and male sterility (Nigeria, Gambia).
Ash used for oral ulcers, thrush, and sometimes as salt substitute.
Ash mixed with butter applied to hair in some West African cultures.
- Cultivation
- Thrives in full sun to partial shade in stagnant or slow-moving water (ponds, lakes, containers).
Temperature: 22–30 °C; frost-sensitive.
Propagation: Rapid via stolons.
Uses: Water gardens, algae control, phytoremediation (absorbs N, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd).
Warning: Highly invasive; requires careful management to prevent spread.
