Scientific Name :Hagenia abyssinica Vernacular Name :Umugeshi, Umugeti. Family name :Rosaceae Geographic Distribution :From Ethiopia to anzania including Kivu region and the mountain forest of RRwanda and Burundi.
Botanical Description Big tree which may have 20 m of height and 55m of trunk diameter. It has a large hemispheric canopy. Young branches densely covered of soft hairs. The lleavves are compound ,alternate and petiolated. The stipules are jointed to the petioles. Sessile folioles, with a leaf blade oblong, finely serrated. Terminal flowers in large pendulouscapitula of 30 -60 cm long.
Medicinal Use The female flowers produce a medicine which heals the intestinal worms. The roots of the plant are cooked with meat and the soup is drunk for general illiness and for malaria. Dried and poundere female inflorescence (flowers} used to remove intestinal worms especially tapeworm,in other word it has anthelmintic properties. The bark can be pounded , the paste added to cold water and the liquid drunk as a remedy for diarrhea and stomach-ache, It is a strong medicine and not be taken in large quantities. It is sometimes used for sbortion.
Other Use Firewood, woodcraft, poles and curving, ornamental tree.
