Warburgia ugandensis

Warburgia ugandensis, also known as Ugandan greenheart or simply greenheart tree, is a species of evergreen tree native to East Africa. Countries in which the plant species is found include Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The wood is resistant to insect attack^[1] and very strong. It was commonly used for the yoke pole of ox-wagons, the Disselboom. Early Indian immigrants to Kenya, working on the construction of the railway, used the leaves to flavor their curries before the chilli plant was commonly introduced. The flavor is hot and subtly different from chillies.

Warburgia ugandensis
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Canellales
Family:	Canellaceae
Genus:	Warburgia
Species:	W. ugandensis
Binomial name
Warburgia ugandensis Sprague
Synonyms
Warburgia breyeri Pott

Extracts of W. ugandensis have been reported to show some antimalarial, antifungal, and antibacterial properties in vitro or in animal models.^[1][2]

Unsustainable overharvesting of the bark reduced the population of the longifolia subspecies to the Rondo Forest Reserve in Tanzania, which prompted the IUCN to list it as vulnerable in its Red List of Threatened Species.^[3]

References

1. Olila D; Olwa-Odyek, Opuda-Asibo J (December 2001). "Antibacterial and antifungal activities of extracts of Zanthoxylum chalybeum and Warburgia ugandensis, Ugandan medicinal plants". Afr Health Sci. 1 (2): 66–72. PMC 2141554. PMID 12789119.
2. Were, PS; Kinyanjui, P; Gicheru, MM; Mwangi, E; Ozwara, HS (2010). "Prophylactic and curative activities of extracts from Warburgia ugandensis Sprague (Canellaceae) and Zanthoxylum usambarense (Engl.) Kokwaro (Rutaceae) against Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium berghei". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 130 (1): 158–62. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.034. PMID 20435133.
3. Howard, G.; Kamau, P.; Kindeketa, W.; Luke, W.R.Q.; Lyaruu, H.V.M.; Malombe, I.; Maunder, M.; Mwachala, G.; Njau, E.-F.; Peres, Q.; Schatz, G.E.; Siro Masinde, P.; Ssegawa, P.; Wabuyele, E.; Wilkins, V.L. (2020). "Warburgia ugandensis subsp. longifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T32874A2826016. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T32874A2826016.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.