Plants known by Tiv names — part 7 of 10 (Kpagh to Lienegh, Agalien, Agashidam, Akomboadam), 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.
Camwood; African barwood; Baphia
Baphia nitida
- Description
- A small hard-wooded leguminous tree, the traditional source of a strong red dye known as camwood or barwood.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves have anti-inflammatory, antidiarrhoeal, and analgesic uses in traditional medicine; powdered heartwood mixed with shea butter is applied to sprains, swollen joints, and rheumatic pain.
- Cultivation
- A small tree native to West Africa, historically harvested from the wild and exported as a red dyewood from the 17th century onward.
Teak; Common teak
Tectona grandis
- Description
- A large deciduous tree valued as one of the world's premier timbers, prized for its durability and water resistance.
- Cultivation
- A slow-growing plantation and forest timber tree, widely planted commercially across the tropics.
African asparagus; Prickly asparagus
Asparagus africanus
- Description
- A scrambling, spiny relative of garden asparagus with wiry stems and small needle-like cladodes.
- Medicinal uses
- Root decoctions are used across Africa to treat malaria, headache, backache, stomach pain, haemorrhoids, and venereal diseases, and to ease childbirth.
- Cultivation
- A wild scrambling shrub of savanna, bushland, and rocky ground.
African wisteria tree
Amblygonocarpus andongensis
- Description
- A medium to large deciduous savanna tree with feathery compound leaves and very hard, dense wood known locally as bangawanga.
- As food
- Roasted seeds are eaten, and boiled, fermented seeds are used in small amounts as a condiment.
- Cultivation
- A wild savanna tree, harvested for food, timber, fuel, and charcoal rather than cultivated.
African elemi; African canarium; Elemi timber tree
Canarium schweinfurthii
- Description
- A tall forest tree yielding an aromatic resin (elemi) and an oily, olive-like edible fruit.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark is used in African ethnomedicine for diabetes, pain, malaria, fever, and diarrhoea; the resin has antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
- As food
- The fruit is softened by warming or boiling and eaten as an oily snack.
- Cultivation
- A large forest tree, harvested from the wild across tropical Africa.
Broad-leaved vitex; Wild vitex
Vitex latifolia
- Description
- A wild tree in the Vitex genus found in West African woodland, related to the widely used black plum tree, Vitex doniana; its precise taxonomic identity could not be independently confirmed.
- Cultivation
- A wild tree of West African woodland and savanna.
Wild Garcinia
Garcinia ovalifolia
- Description
- A small forest tree in the same genus as bitter kola, bearing edible fruit, found in the seasonally flooded forests of tropical Africa.
- As food
- The fruit is edible.
- Cultivation
- A wild forest tree, not cultivated.
Tiger nut; Earth almond; Yellow nutsedge
Cyperus esculentus
- Description
- A grass-like sedge grown for its small, sweet, starchy underground tubers.
- Medicinal uses
- Tubers and their extracts are used traditionally as a digestive aid and diuretic.
- As food
- Tubers are eaten raw or dried, and ground or soaked to make the popular tiger-nut drink.
- Cultivation
- Grown from tubers in sandy soils, and also spreads readily as a weed in cultivated fields.
Nut grass; Purple nutsedge; Coco grass
Cyperus rotundus
- Description
- A perennial sedge with a network of underground tubers, regarded as one of the world's most troublesome agricultural weeds.
- Medicinal uses
- Tubers are used across Africa and Asia for digestive complaints and fever and as a diuretic and emmenagogue, and are widely studied for anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity.
- Cultivation
- Spreads aggressively through underground tubers and rhizomes; a persistent weed of cultivated land, not deliberately grown.
Irvingia; Dika nut; Ogbono
Irvingia smithii
- Description
- A forest tree in the same genus as the more widespread bush mango, bearing a fruit with a fat-rich seed kernel.
- As food
- The kernels are dried and ground, like those of related Irvingia species, into a thickener used for soup.
- Cultivation
- A wild forest tree of West and Central Africa.
Bauhinia; Pod mahogany bauhinia
Bauhinia rufescens
- Description
- A many-branched shrub or small tree of dry Sahelian woodland, now classified by botanists as Piliostigma rufescens; it has the distinctive twin-lobed leaves typical of the Bauhinia group.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves are used traditionally as a stomachic and for diarrhoea, dysentery, and fever; root extracts serve as an astringent and antipyretic.
- Cultivation
- A hardy shrub of arid and semi-arid Sahel and Sudan savanna, tolerant of poor, dry soils.
Water yam; Winged yam; Greater yam; Asiatic yam
Dioscorea alata
- Description
- A climbing vine grown for its large tuber, one of the most widely cultivated yam species worldwide, with forms ranging from white to deep purple flesh.
- As food
- Tubers are boiled, roasted, or pounded and eaten as a major starchy staple.
- Cultivation
- A staked climbing vine, propagated from tuber setts and grown across the humid and sub-humid tropics.
West African pepper; Ashanti pepper; Guinea pepper
Piper guineense
- Description
- A woody climbing pepper vine bearing small pungent fruit used as a spice, closely related to true black pepper.
- Medicinal uses
- Used traditionally for cough, bronchitis, and rheumatism, and to aid uterine contractions after childbirth; also used as an aphrodisiac.
- As food
- The dried fruit is ground and used as a pungent spice, known as uziza pepper, in West African cooking.
- Cultivation
- A woody vine trained on trees or stakes, harvested for its peppery fruit and aromatic leaves.
False Cotton
Cochlospermum planchoni
- Description
- Cochlospermum planchonii is a perennial West African savanna shrub valued primarily for its medicinal roots and often confused with C. tinctorium, though it differs in growth form and flowering behavior. It is a low, bushy shrub with a woody underground rootstock, palmately lobed leaves, large bright yellow flowers, and capsular fruits typical of the genus.
- Medicinal uses
- Root decoctions are extensively used to treat malaria, fever, gastrointestinal disorders, liver and infectious diseases, diabetes, pain, inflammation, and reproductive health conditions.
- As food
- The roots serve as soup thickeners and colorants, produce yellow dye and ink, provide fiber and beads, and the plant is grazed by livestock in parts of the Sahel.
- Ritual uses
- The plant features in traditional protective and spiritual practices, particularly among Fulani communities, where it is believed to confer metaphysical prot
- Cultivation
- Adapted to fire-prone savanna environments, C. planchonii is mostly wild-harvested, occasionally cultivated for seeds, and is increasingly vulnerable due to intensive root extraction.
Coconut palm; Coconut
Cocos nucifera
- Description
- A tall palm tree cultivated throughout the tropics for its large, fibrous-husked nut.
- Medicinal uses
- Coconut milk is used in Ghana to treat diarrhoea, and husk extracts are used in Nigerian folk diabetic diets; the oil is used topically for skin and fungal complaints.
- As food
- The water, flesh, and pressed oil of the nut are widely consumed; the sap can be tapped and fermented into palm wine.
- Cultivation
- Grown from planted mature nuts in coastal and other warm, humid areas; begins bearing fruit after several years and continues for decades.
Savanna cochlospernum; Savanna floss silk
Cochlospermum planchoni
- Description
- A savanna shrub or small tree with a woody rootstock and bright yellow flowers, related to the cotton-tree family (Bixaceae).
- Medicinal uses
- Rhizomes and leaves are used across West Africa to treat malaria, jaundice, diabetes, and diarrhoea; leaf oil has shown antimalarial activity in laboratory studies.
- Cultivation
- A wild savanna shrub that regenerates from a fire-resistant underground rootstock after bushfires.
Palm grass; African palm grass
Curculigo pilosa
- Description
- A low, palm-like perennial herb with pleated, strap-shaped leaves rising from an underground rhizome, resembling a miniature palm.
- Medicinal uses
- The rhizome is used across Africa for infertility, epilepsy, coughs, and diabetes-related complaints.
- As food
- The rhizome is used in the preparation of infant foods and sorghum beer in parts of West Africa.
- Cultivation
- A wild herb of savanna woodland and grassland.
Purple-fruited psorospermum; Wild mangosteen
Psorospermum corymbiferum
- Description
- A shrub or small tree in the St John's-wort family (Hypericaceae), bearing purplish berry-like fruit.
- Medicinal uses
- Root bark extracts have shown antifungal (anticandidal) activity in laboratory studies; a related species, Psorospermum febrifugum, is used traditionally for skin sores.
- Cultivation
- A wild shrub of savanna and forest margins.
Senegal Psorospermum
Psorospermum senegalense
- Description
- Psorospermum senegalense is a shrub or small tree native to tropical Africa, especially savannas and dry forest margins, widely valued in traditional medicine for treating skin diseases, infections, and fevers, and often confused with the closely related Psorospermum febrifugum. The plant grows as a low shrub to small tree with hairy young branches, elliptic leaves, small pale flowers in panicles, and clustered dark red to black berries typical of the genus.
- Medicinal uses
- The species is well known in African traditional medicine for managing skin diseases, wounds, fevers (including malaria), and respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, largely due to bioactive anthraquinones and tannins.
- As food
- The fruits are reported as edible and occasionally eaten locally, especially by children, though they are not a major food crop and are less commonly processed than those of P. febrifugum.
- Ritual uses
- The plant holds strong ethnocultural significance, being used for spiritual protection, fumigation rituals, amulets, insect or bee deterrence, dye production, and as a source of fuelwood and tool handles.
- Cultivation
- Psorospermum senegalense is mainly a wild species adapted to savanna conditions, tolerant of fire and varied soils, and can be propagated by seed or cuttings, though it is rarely cultivated intentionally.
Bridelia, Rusty Bridelia, or Blackbird Tree.
Bridelia ferruginea
- Description
- Bridelia ferruginea is a widely distributed African savannah tree valued for its strong medicinal, cultural, and practical importance across West Africa. The plant is a small deciduous tree or shrub with rough, red-sap-exuding bark, glossy green leaves with rusty undersides, small clustered flowers, and dark drupaceous fruits.
- Medicinal uses
- Its bark, leaves, and roots are extensively used to treat oral infections, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, inflammation, infections, and other traditional ailments.
- As food
- The bark is added to palm wine to enhance strength and preservation, while the fruits are occasionally eaten.
- Ritual uses
- Bridelia ferruginea plays important ritual, dyeing, pottery, construction, and fuel roles due to its sacred status, dye-rich bark, and durable wood.
- Cultivation
- The species thrives in fire-resistant savannah and woodland environments, tolerates drought, and is mainly propagated from seeds or harvested from the wild, though caution is needed due to tannins and possible toxicity.
Doum palm; Gingerbread palm; African doum palm
Hyphaene thebaica
- Description
- An unusual palm that branches repeatedly at the trunk, bearing fibrous, gingerbread-flavored fruit; native to arid and semi-arid Africa.
- Medicinal uses
- Fruit and seed extracts are used traditionally for hypertension, diabetes, and digestive complaints, and as a vermifuge to expel intestinal parasites.
- As food
- The fibrous fruit pulp is eaten fresh or processed; the sap can be tapped and fermented into palm wine.
- Cultivation
- Grows wild in arid savanna and semi-desert; propagated from seed, and unusually among palms, its trunk branches dichotomously.
“crocodile’s ear” or “donkey’s ear.”
Terminalia avicennioides
- Description
- Terminalia avicennioides is a tree in the Combretaceae family commonly found in the savannah regions of West Africa, widely recognized for its extensive medicinal properties, particularly in rural Nigeria.
- Medicinal uses
- The root and stem bark are extensively used to treat malaria, inflammation, pain, diarrhea, dysentery, infections, wounds, skin diseases, dental problems, and venereal ailments due to their rich bioactive compounds.
- As food
- Terminalia avicennioides is not used as a food plant and is valued almost entirely for medicinal and technical purposes.
- Ritual uses
- There are no well-documented widespread ritual or sacred uses beyond its strong role in traditional medicine.
- Cultivation
- The tree is mainly propagated by seeds raised in nurseries, where seedlings establish well for reforestation and dryland planting.
Narrow-leaved terminalia; Savanna terminalia
Terminalia avicennioides
- Description
- A savanna tree with narrow leaves, in the Combretaceae (the same family as the true terminalias and the myrobalans).
- Medicinal uses
- Root decoctions and macerations are used across West Africa for wounds, skin infections, sores, coughs, pneumonia, dysentery, and toothache; the bark powder is used as a purgative.
- Cultivation
- A wild, fire-tolerant tree of savanna woodland.
Vogel's tephrosia; Fish poison plant; Crackerberry
Tephrosia vogelii
- Description
- A shrubby legume whose leaves contain rotenone, historically crushed and thrown into ponds and streams to stun fish for easy harvesting.
- Medicinal uses
- Used across Africa as an insecticide against lice, fleas, and ticks, and in traditional medicine as a purgative and anthelmintic; the plant is toxic and should not be used informally as a remedy.
- Cultivation
- Grown as a shrub or hedge and sometimes as a green manure/cover crop; propagated by seed.
Warty scleria; Razor grass
Scleria verrucosa
- Description
- A sedge (Cyperaceae) with sharp-edged, razor-like leaf margins, giving rise to its common name "razor grass."
- Cultivation
- A wild sedge of damp grassland and savanna.
Baobab
- Description
- Adansonia digitata is commonly known as the Baobab or Monkey-bread tree, also called the Upside-down tree or Cream of Tartar tree, and is famous for its massive trunk and use as a food/water source
- Medicinal uses
- Adansonia digitata (Baobab) is used medicinally across its parts (leaves, bark, fruit, seeds) for fever, malaria, diarrhea, inflammation, and microbial infections, acting as an antioxidant, immune stimulant, and source of Vitamin C and minerals, with preparations like infusions, decoctions, or pastes used for ailments from asthma and anemia to wounds and kidney issues.
African tragacanth, Karaya gum tree, Star chestnut, Bristly Sterculia.
Sterculia setigera.L
- Description
- Sterculia setigera Delile is a valuable, drought-tolerant, deciduous tree native to the Sahel-Sudan and Guinea savanna zones of tropical Africa, commonly known for its medicinal gum and edible seeds. It is a member of the Malvaceae family and can grow up to 15–30 meters tall.
- Medicinal uses
- Gum, bark, and leaves are used to treat malaria, jaundice, diarrhea, fever, respiratory issues, wounds, and skin infections, with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-plasmodial properties.
- As food
- The seeds are roasted and eaten for their high protein and oil content, and the gum is used as a thickener or emulsifier in cooking.
- Ritual uses
- The gum is harvested for trade, the bark is used for ropes and mats, the wood as fodder, and the tree holds socio-economic and cultural significance in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Cultivation
- The tree is mainly propagated by seeds, often soaked to improve germination, and can be grown using vegetative or tissue culture techniques like micrografting.
West Indies smut grass; Snowberry; Rat's tail grass
Sporobolus pyramidalis
- Description
- A tufted perennial grass forming large, coarse tussocks, common on disturbed ground, roadsides, and overgrazed pasture.
- As food
- Grazed by livestock as forage, especially when young and tender.
- Ritual uses
- Regarded as a fetish plant by some West African peoples; the Mambila of Adamawa, Nigeria, are documented as taking tribal oaths on it.
- Cultivation
- A wild grass of pastures and waste ground, also used for erosion control due to its deep, soil-stabilizing root system.
Pineapple
Ananas sativus
- Description
- A herbaceous rosette plant producing a single sweet, composite fruit from a cluster of fused berries; widely cultivated across the tropics.
- Medicinal uses
- The fruit and leaves are used traditionally as a digestive aid and anti-inflammatory, and against intestinal parasites; the enzyme bromelain, found in the fruit and stem, has documented anti-inflammatory properties.
- As food
- The ripe fruit is eaten fresh, juiced, or cooked in a wide range of dishes.
- Cultivation
- Propagated from the leafy crown, suckers, or slips; the parent plant fruits once, with new shoots continuing the planting.
Sweet basil; Common basil
Ocimum basilicum
- Description
- An aromatic annual herb with strongly scented leaves, a common culinary and garden herb.
- Medicinal uses
- A leaf infusion is used traditionally for coughs, colds, and digestive complaints, and the crushed leaves are used as an insect repellent.
- As food
- Leaves are used fresh or dried to flavor soups, stews, and other dishes.
- Cultivation
- Easily grown from seed in home gardens; prefers warm, sunny conditions.
African basil; Tree basil; Clove basil; Fever plant
Ocimum gratissimum
- Description
- A shrubby, strongly clove-scented aromatic herb, larger and more robust than sweet basil, sometimes called "fever plant."
- Medicinal uses
- Leaf decoctions are used across Africa for fevers, colds, diarrhoea, and respiratory ailments; the essential oil has documented antimicrobial properties.
- As food
- Leaves are used as a culinary herb and spice, commonly added to soups.
- Cultivation
- Easily propagated from cuttings or seed; a common plant in home gardens across West Africa.
Clove Basil, African Basil, Shrubby Basil, Wild Basil, Scent Leaf
Ocimum gratissimum
- Description
- Ocimum gratissimum is a highly aromatic perennial shrub widely used in Africa and beyond for medicinal, culinary, and protective purposes.
- Medicinal uses
- Traditionally used to treat respiratory ailments, digestive disorders, skin infections, malaria, fevers, and to boost immunity.
- As food
- Leaves serve as a spice in soups and stews, a vegetable in porridges, and as a brewed tea.
- Ritual uses
- Used for spiritual protection, postpartum care, and as a natural insect repellent in homes.
- Cultivation
- Grown from seeds or cuttings, the plant thrives in full sun or partial shade, prefers fertile soil, and is often harvested for its leaves and essential oils.
African fan palm; Borassus palm; Fan palm
Borassus aethiopum
- Description
- A tall palm with a distinctive swollen trunk and massive fan-shaped leaves, found across savanna Africa.
- Medicinal uses
- One of the most-used palms in African traditional medicine, especially against malaria; the root is used as a mouthwash and against stomach parasites, bronchitis, sore throat, and asthma, and the leaves are reportedly used as an aphrodisiac.
- As food
- The fruit is eaten fresh, dried, or cooked; young seedlings and the apical bud are eaten as a vegetable; the sap is tapped for palm wine or vinegar.
- Cultivation
- A slow-growing wild and semi-cultivated palm of savanna woodland, taking years to develop its characteristic swollen trunk.
Henna; Egyptian privet; Camphire
Lawsonia inermis
- Description
- A shrub whose crushed leaves yield the orange-red dye known as henna, used for body art and hair coloring.
- Medicinal uses
- Leaves are used traditionally as an astringent and antimicrobial for skin conditions, and in decoction for headache.
- Ritual uses
- Henna is used for ceremonial body and hair decoration, especially at weddings, across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia; a Tiv-specific protocol was not independently confirmed.
- Cultivation
- Cultivated as a hedge or garden shrub, propagated from cuttings or seed; leaves are dried and ground into the dye powder.
African upas tree; Bark cloth tree
Antiaris africana
- Description
- A large forest tree with poisonous milky latex, closely related to (and by some treated as part of) Antiaris toxicaria, the bark-cloth tree.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark extracts are used in Nigeria to relieve chest, rheumatic, respiratory, and stomach pain. The latex is highly toxic and has historically been used as an arrow poison — not for any informal use.
- Cultivation
- A wild forest tree; its inner bark is traditionally beaten into bark cloth in parts of Africa.
African teak; Iroko; Mvuli; Nigerian teak
Milicia excelsa
- Description
- A large forest tree yielding a valuable, durable timber, and considered sacred in parts of West Africa.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark, leaves, and roots are used across West Africa for coughs, heart problems, inflammation, wounds, and skin ailments.
- Ritual uses
- Regarded as sacred in parts of West Africa, with individual trees sometimes protected or venerated; a Tiv-specific practice was not independently confirmed.
- Cultivation
- A slow-growing forest timber tree, also planted along roadsides.
Henna or Mehndi
Lawsonia inermis
- Description
- Lawsonia inermis is a glabrous, highly branched shrub or small tree (2–6 m tall) with fragrant flowers and lawsone-rich leaves that produce a red-orange dye.
- Medicinal uses
- The plant is widely used in traditional medicine for treating skin infections, wounds, digestive disorders, headaches, insomnia, hair problems, and certain sexually transmitted infections.
- As food
- Although not a common food plant, its seeds and leaves are occasionally used in small amounts in traditional remedies for digestive ailments.
- Ritual uses
- Henna is culturally significant as a body art dye for rituals and celebrations, symbolizing joy, fertility, and protection, and is also used for dyeing hair and textiles.
- Cultivation
- It is cultivated in hot, dry climates on well-drained soils, propagated by seeds or cuttings, and harvested multiple times yearly for its dye-rich leaves.
Pink cassia; Pink shower tree
Cassia nodosa
- Description
- An ornamental flowering tree bearing dense clusters of pink and white blossoms, in the legume family.
- Medicinal uses
- The pods and seeds have been used as a milder substitute for Cassia fistula, a traditional mild laxative for constipation.
- Cultivation
- Widely planted as an ornamental shade and street tree; as a legume, it also fixes nitrogen in the soil.
African entada; Nicker tree
Entada africana
- Description
- A savanna shrub or small tree of the legume family, notable for its large, flattened seed pods.
- Medicinal uses
- Bark and root decoctions are used across West Africa for fever, malaria, bronchitis, cough, and as a wound antiseptic; roots are also used as a general tonic.
- Cultivation
- A wild shrub or small tree of savanna woodland.
Sweet Detar, Sweet Dattock, or Tallow Tree
Detarium microcarpum
- Description
- Detarium microcarpum, known as Sweet Detar, Sweet Dattock, or Tallow Tree, is a valuable West African tree used for food (edible fruit), fuel, timber, and traditional medicine, with uses for diabetes, infections, inflammation, gastrointestinal issues, and as an antioxidant, leveraging its leaves, roots, bark, and seeds for treatments like fever, diarrhea, and wounds.
- Medicinal uses
- Medicinal Uses (Traditional & Studied)
Anti-diabetic: Extracts from roots and seeds help lower blood sugar.
Antimicrobial: Bark extracts show activity against bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Antioxidant: Rich in flavonoids, it helps fight free radicals.
Anti-inflammatory: Used for pain, rheumatism, and gastrointestinal issues.
Diuretic & Astringent: Bark, leaves, and roots used for these properties.
Fever & Colds: Leaves and fruits traditionally used.
Liver Health: Studied for hepatitis C inhibition.
Wound Healing: Bark and leaves used for various ailments, including potential wound treatments.
Food Security: Fruit is nutritious, providing flour, while seed gum acts as a thickener.
Other Uses
Food: Fruit eaten raw or cooked; seeds made into flour.
Fuelwood & Timber: High-quality wood for fuel and construction.
Animal Feed: Leaves and pods used as fodder.
