Bauhinia thonningii Schum
| Botanical Name | Bauhinia thonningii Schum |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Leguminosae |
| Genus: | Bauhinia |
| Species: | Bauhinia thonningii Schumach. & Thonn. [Fabaceae] |
| Common Names: | Camel’s foot (English) |
Plant Synonyms
Piliostigma thonningii (Schum.) Milne-Redh.
Plant Local Names
Hausa Name: Kargo
Yoruba Name: Abafe
Igbo Name: Okpachu
Plant Habitat
Bauhinia thonningii is native to Africa. It grows in open woodland, wooded grasslands and sub-humid savannas from sea level up to 1300 m. Optimal growth conditions require an average annual temperature of 20 °C, 700-1400 mm annual rainfall and heavy clay to loamy soils. It is tolerant of acid soils and can withstand dry conditions.
Plant Material of Interest
Bark, leaves
Plant Description
Shrub or tree to 6m high, often or crooked growth, with dark brown to black fissured bark. Leaves digitally 11- 12 nerved, the central nerve prolonged as a point into the notch between he lobes of the leaf. Leaves 7.5 to 15cm long, in racemes alternate leaf opposed and auxiliary along each branch and borne somewhat horizontally. This species is very similar to Piliostigma reticulatum, except that leaves are less deeply slit, slightly larger, having a ferrugineous pubescence underneath which is absent in P. reticulatum (Keay et. al., 1964)
Plant Used Parts
Plant Uses
i. Yields heavy crops of pods which are eaten by livestock, game, monkey and also by humans
ii. The powdered bark as active ingredient of oil-based paste, applied as remedy for pile
iii. The powdered bark is applied as a dressing for wounds and ulcers
iv. A warm infusion of the bark or the leaves relieves toothache
v. Infusion of leaves is given to new born infants, used to massage the abdomen of the mother
vi. The young leaves and bark are believed to have expectorant qualities
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Plant Chromatographic Fingerprint
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