''Boscia angustifolia'' is a shrub or small tree with

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

leaves commonly found in the

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

zones of Africa, from Senegal moving eastwards to Sudan. It is part of the

Capparaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 33 genera and about 700 species. The largest genera are '' Capparis'' (about ...

family. The plant is also known as the rough-leaved shepherds tree.

Description

It is a smooth, grey barked shrub or small tree that is capable of reaching in height and with a short trunk. It has leaves with simple, alternate arrangement; leaf-blade is lanceolate to oblong outline with a coriaceous and glabrous upper surface, short, fine hairs beneath; it is 1.5-5 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide, petiole is 2-7 mm long. Flowers are greenish to white, terminal or axillary clustered in

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

type of inflorescence. Fruit is spherical berries, about 6-10 mm in diameter.

Distribution

Occurs in the

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

zones of West Africa, from

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

to Nigeria and eastwards towards the Red Sea where it has been identified in Sudan and Egypt then southwards towards Northern South Africa.

Chemistry

Test on parts of the species identified the methylated flavonoid,

ombuin Ombuin is an O-methylated flavonol, a type of flavonoid. It is the 4',7-O-methyl derivative of quercetin. Ombuin can be found in species of the genus ''Erythroxylum''. It can also be synthesized. Ombuin 3-sulfate can be isolated from '' Flaveri ...

, the carboxylic acid compounds: lactic and quinic acid, and about three nitrogen methyl compounds including 1-methyl imino thieno ,4bnaphthalene.

Uses

The roots are used in decoctions to treat a variety of bacteria infection and other health issues including diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, chest pain and boil. Its leaves and fruit are used to induce purging and to act as a

cholagogue A cholagogue is a substance that is purported by humoral practitioners to encourage the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downward. Deployment is no longer recommended because the biliary purge, like the traditional kidney purge, can c ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15542345 Flora of West Tropical Africa angustifolia