Brucea antidysenterica
Synonyms: Angustura spuria; Angustura falsa.
Region: tropical Africa, Guinea, Nigeria east to Ethiopia and south to Angola, Malawi, Zambia.
Habitat: moist tropics; lower storeys of evergreen forest; secondary growth in deforested areas or at forest edges; montane forests, forest margins; elevations of 1750 to 2500 metres.
Content: quanninoids, bitter; canthin alkaloids, anticancer; crystals of calcium oxalate in the bark, leaves and roots.
Ecology: host plant of the Mediterranean fruit fly.
Use: in traditional medicine; fruit for yellow dye; wood for firewood, roof construction.
Botany
Shrub or small tree; to 7 metres tall.
Flowers: monoecious.
Fruit: bitter and reportedly toxic to livestock, especially sheep; contains about 22% oil.