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Common Tree: Hiccup Nut
National Tree Number:
Botanical name: Combretum bracteosum
Other names: Hikklimop (Afrikaans), Uqotho (Xhosa)
Description:
A small to medium sized tree, 3 to 10m in height,
occasionally bushy and shrub-like.
The bark is
grey to dark grey or brownish-grey and is smooth becoming scaly
and rough with age. The leaves are opposite, narrowly to broadly obovate-elliptic, oblong or broadly
ovate, 3 to 13 X 1,5 to 8cm thinly leathery. Young leaves are sticky
and glutinous with a varnished shine. Two types of flowers are produced, yellow to creamy-green or red, and are heavily scented.
They have auxiliary spikes and grow up to 7 X 1,5 cm. Flowering
occurs during September to February. The fruit are oval reddish-brown when mature. Fruiting occurs during January
to May. Old fruit may be present until October.
Uses:
A decoction of the leaves can be used as a steam bath and also as
an enema to relieve stomach disorder.
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(photograph: NBI/the
dwaf) |
