Monday, October 5, 2009

AFRICAN TULIP (Spathodea campanulata)



You can find a lot of Africa Tulip trees planted all along the road to my school. When the flowers are in bloom it is a lovely sight to behold. I had long admired the flower while driving to and from school but did not stop my car to have a closer look until a few days ago. Believe me, up close the flower looks stunning. And I found out later that the Africans use this plant for medicinal purposes as well.
Here is information about the African Tulip
Common name: African Tulip
Scientific name: Spathodea campanulata
Classification: Family Bignoniaceae
Botany
This tree grows up to 10 - 15 metres. It has large showy, red flowers.
Uses
The seeds are edible. Paper can be made from the soft white timber. Used in African traditional medicine. The stem, bark and leaf are used in treatment for dyspepsia and peptic ulcer. The leaf, root, bark and fruit are used for arthritis and fractures. The stem bark is used for toothache and stomache. Root bark seed is used for stomach ulcers.
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