Voacanga africana, 500 seeds
"Voacanga africana's appearance is of a small tree or shrub around 10 m tall, with trunk up to 30 cm in diameter and repeated dichotomous branches. The bark is a pale grey-brown, smooth or shallowly fissured, with some white latex. Leaves are opposite, simple and entire, elliptical or narrowly elliptical in shape, with pairs of lateral veins. They measure between 7 and 42 cm in length, and 3 â€“ 20 cm across.
Flowering occurs between November and January, and they appear in pairs in the forks of branches, with large heads cream, yellow or white in colour. They are used for display and ornamental purposes in some countries, but are also strongly and unpleasantly scented. The fruit is 3â€“8 cm in diameter, green with numerous whitish spots, becoming yellow when mature, with many dark brown 7â€“10 mm seeds within.
Other names include small-fruit wild frangipani and cata grande. It grows in the undergrowth of open forest and in gallery forest in savanna areas, and in coastal forest, from sea-level up to 1100 m altitude.
It is widespread in mainland tropical Africa, from Senegal east to Kenya and south to Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It has also been introduced in other tropical regions across the world.
There are numerous medicinal uses for different parts of the Voacanga africana plant. The latex or infusions of the stem bark, leaves or roots are put on wounds, boils and sores, and used to treat gonorrhoea, eczema, fungal infections and scabies. They are also taken to treat heart problems, hypertension and rheumatic afflictions. The latex is put in teeth to treat caries or dripped in the eye to cure ophthalmia; it's also combined with rubber and made into balls and other toys for children. In Senegal a leaf decoction is drunk as a tonic and against fatigue, and in CÃ´te dâ€™Ivoire it is applied as a wash against diarrhoea.
Seed extracts are used by French and German pharmaceutical manufacturers in medicines for geriatric use, for treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. There has been a steady trade in seeds since the 1980s, with several hundred tonnes of seeds exported to these customers from CÃ´te dâ€™Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, DR Congo and Congo.
The fruit is considered edible and a root decoction is drunk three times daily to treat post-partum pains and hernia. The wood has its uses too: for arrows and sheaths, musical instruments and its fibres are strong enough to make rope.
A traditional African use of the voacanga seeds is to produce visions - when ingested, voacanga africana causes a mild to strong stimulation lasting several hours, and higher doses are said to have a strong hallucinogenic effect. The root bark is used as a hunting drug and stimulant. Itâ€™s also reported to be a potent aphrodisiac."
Seeds are fresh but dry already. They will germinate but with low percentage of about 20%
Voacanga africana seeds are also available in big bulk batches. Simply drop a line if interested in a wholesale Voacanga africana quotation
- Additional Information
amount of seeds 500 pieces