Margaritaria discoidea Seeds - Pheasant-berry - Indigenous Tree - Medicinal

Margaritaria discoidea Seeds

Common Names: Pheasant-berry, Egossa Red Pear or Bushveld Peacock-berry

Margaritaria discoidea is a tree in the Phyllanthaceae family, commonly known as the pheasant-berry, egossa red pear or bushveld peacock-berry. These trees are native to the warmer, higher rainfall areas of Africa. This species is distributed from the coastal areas of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to tropical Africa, as far as Senegal in West Africa. A medium to tall tree in forest and riverine situations, where it can grow up to 30 m tall, or a shrub or small tree in dryer and more open situations. The stem is usually straight with rough, flaking bark which is grayish-brown on top and reddish beneath. The branches of young trees grow horizontally from the stem. The leaves are alternate and produced on one plane. Male and female flowers are produced on separate trees, with both types of flowers being small, greenish-yellow in colour, and fragrant. The fruit is a three-lobed capsule about 10 mm in diameter and golden-brown when ripe. The inner part of the fruit is dark metallic blue-green; giving rise to the name bushveld peacock-berry.

These trees are used in traditional medicine across Africa: A leaf-decoction is taken in Ivory Coast for blennorrhoea and for poisoning, while in Ubangi a decoction of roots and leafy twigs is also used for blennorrhoea. A wash of the decoction is a stimulant in case of general fatigue. The bark is used as a purgative in West Africa and anthelmintic in Central Africa. The Fula people use the bark for toothache, in the Central African Republic a decoction is used for post-partum pains, and in the Republic of Congo for stomach and kidney complaints and to facilitate parturition. In Malawi the powdered bark extract is applied to swellings and inflammation for quick relief.

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