A savanna tree or shrub of the Combretaceae family, found across the West African Sudan and Guinea savanna belt.
Combretum nigricans (family Combretaceae) is a shrub or small tree 4 to 12 metres tall, with a short trunk and a dense, rounded crown. It is well known for its gum, which is gathered from the wild for local use and is also exported.
It grows in the savanna and dry forest of West Africa, especially in Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and Niger. It does best on loamy or clay soils but also grows on sandstone and on sandy or rocky ground. The seed is held in a winged fruit; pulling the wings apart to free it and soaking it in water for 24 hours both improve germination. Dried seed stores well: germination of more than 92 per cent has been achieved with seed that was dried and kept cold for five years.
Source: Useful Tropical Plants database (Fern, K.).
Combretum species are widely used across West Africa for wound care, stomach complaints, and fever; documentation specific to this species is thin.
A savanna woodland tree/shrub.