Phyllanthaceae FAMILY

Margaritaria discoidea

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Margaritaria discoidea is a deciduous shrub or tree with a spreading crown; usually growing up to 20 metres tall but with some specimens exceeding 30 metres. The bole is unbuttressed and can be 30cm in diameter[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ , 726 Title Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 60 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Harvard University; Boston, Mass. Year 1979 ISBN 0004-2625 Description A botanical journal containing various articles, including a review of the genus Margaritaria. It can be downloaded from the internet. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild, mainly for local use as a medicine and source of wood. With its spreading crown, it is grown in villages as a shade tree[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeAfrica - Senegal to Ethiopia, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and northeastern S. Africa.

HabitatDamper sites of the savannah and closed secondary forests[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. Deciduous woodland, fringing forest, dry evergreen forest, rainforest, and disturbed vegetation at elevations from near sea level to over 2,000 metres[ 725 Title Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 77 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; Missouri. Year 1990 ISBN 0026-6493 Description A botanical journal containing various articles, including a monograph of the tropical African species of Lapeirousia. It can be downloaded from the internet. ].