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Clutia abyssinica var. abyssinica

Scientific Name:Clutia abyssinica var. abyssinica   
Vernacular Name:Umutarishonga
Family name :Euphorbiaceae
Geographic Distribution:In clearing and along of mountain forest, 1700 – 2500 m.

Botanical Description

Clutia abyssinica is a shrub rarely a small tree, up to 4 m. Leaves ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, up to 16 cm long fairly, thinly textured, light green above, somewhat blue grenn below, mostly hairless, margin entire. Flowera in axillary clusters, small, yellowish to greenish, unisexual on different trees.

 

Medicinal Use

Roots and leaves of clutia abyssinica are used for medicinal purposes. In DR Congo a  decoction is taken to treat fever and cough and is taken by pregnant women as tonic. Ground roots are applied as an enema to treat gonorrhea. A maceration of the crushed leaves is used as nose drops. It has also antimicrobial properties.

 

 In Ugannda, thedisease cured are headache, malaria, and stomach-ache. For both headach and stomach-ache the roots are boiled in soup and then drunk. Afor malaria however the soup is drunk but for satisfactory results the leaves are boiled and while they are still very  hot, the sick person covers himself in a blanket so that the vapor  from the boiled  leaves  circulates in the blanket. Root extract  is drunk to cure influenza and as a remedy for indigestion, The mixing of boiled root decoction with mlik  is drunk to cure liver pains.

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