''Citropsis articulata'', known commonly as the African cherry orange,Plant Gene Resources of Canada
Taxon: ''Citropsis articulata''
West African cherry orange, Uganda cherry orange, and locally as ''omuboro'', is a species of flowering plant in the

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

family,

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...

. It is native to tropical

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

.Swingle, W. T., rev. P. C. Reece
Chapter 3: The Botany of ''Citrus'' and its Wild Relatives.
In: ''The Citrus Industry'' vol. 1. Webber, H. J. (ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. 1967. The species is usually a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

, sometimes a

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

. The leaves are up to 33 centimeters long and are made up of pointed leaflets. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a cluster of flowers with four white petals each nearly 2 centimeters long. The

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

may be 1.5 centimeters long. The fruit is 2 or 3 centimeters long. In Uganda, an infusion made of the ground root of ''omuboro'', drunk once a day for three days is considered to be a powerful

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocain ...

for men only. Science has not investigated the veracity of this belief. The herbal preparation is sold locally. Conservationists in Uganda are concerned that demand for the plant is such that the species may require conservation efforts.Uganda's 'sex tree' under threat.
''BBC News'' 25 July 2007.Kamatenesi-Mugisha, M. and H. Oryem-Origa. (2005)
Traditional herbal remedies used in the management of sexual impotence and erectile dysfunction in western Uganda.
''African Health Sciences'' 5(1), 40-49.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q999157 Fruits originating in Africa Aurantioideae Plants used in traditional African medicine