Guiera senegalensis

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  • Herbarium No: UPH NO.163
  • Guiera senegalensis
  • J.F.Gmel.
  • Botanical Name/Scientific Name: Guiera senegalensis
  • Genus: Guiera
  • Synonym: Guiera glandulosa Sm.
  • Common/Local Name(s): Guiera or Senegal Tea Plant.
  • Family: Combretaceae
  • Botanical Description: Guiera senegalensis is a deciduous shrub that typically grows 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) tall, but it can reach up to 4 meters (13 feet) in some conditions. It has a bushy appearance with multiple branching stems from the base. The stems are slender, woody, and covered with rough, flaking bark that can be gray to brown in color. The leaves are simple, opposite, and typically oval or elliptically shaped with pointed tips. They measure about 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 inches) long. Leaves are green, slightly rough to the touch, and covered with fine hairs that give them a grayish appearance. They possess small glands that are visible as translucent dots when held up to light. The flowers of Guiera senegalensis are small and borne in dense, axillary clusters. They are typically yellow to greenish-yellow, with four sepals and no petals. The flowers are small, around 5 mm in diameter, with prominent stamens that extend beyond the sepals. The flowering usually occurs just before or during the rainy season, generally from late spring to early summer. The plant produces a small capsule that splits open when mature. Each capsule contains a few tiny seeds that are dispersed by wind due to their lightweight and small size.
  • Flowering/Fruiting: Flowering begins June to August.
  • Plant Uses: Medicinal Uses(Gastrointestinal Treatments & Antimicrobial and Anti-parasitic) and Livestock Feed.
  • Origin: Introduced
  • Locality: University of Ibadan Campus.
  • Habit: Shrub
  • Mode: Wild

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