| Cussonia spicata | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cussonia spicata | ||||||||||||||||
| Plant Info | ||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Cussonia spicata Thunb. | ||||||||||||||||
Cussonia spicata (known as spiked cabbage tree, lowveld cabbage tree or common cabbage tree) is a tree in the Araliaceae family.
It occurs naturally in southern Africa and into tropical Africa.
It is cultivated as a garden plant and can reach a height of 15 meters. It does not tolerate extreme degrees of frost.
Ethnomedical Uses
It has been used in traditional African medicine and its medicinal properties are being investigated.
- A bark decoction is used in the treatment of malaria, and indigestion in a similar manner to tonic water
- A root decoction is used to treat fever, venereal disease, as well as a diuretic and laxative.
- A root bark decoction is used to treat mental illness.