Medicinal Plants of Namibia | Page 21

Plant:!Combretum&imberbe!!
Family:!Combretaceae7!!
!
Common(names:((
!Hāb22!!
!Has22!!
Ahnenbaum7!!
Hardekool7,!35!!
Leadwood7,!35!!
Leadwood!Tree22!!
Menshout35!
Munyondo22!!
Muzwili22!!
Omukuku22,!35!!
Omum!borombonga7,!35!!
Omumbolombongo22!!
(
Range:((
This!tree!prefers!widely!available!water!access!to!support!its!growth!so!it!is!found!in!
the!regions!of!the!north!where!ephemeral!rivers!are!in!more!abundance!and!also!
where!it!is!more!common!to!find!areas!of!higher!rainfall!like!further!east13.!!
Combretum&imberbe’s!habitat!is!a!savanna!bushveld22.!!
!
Diagnostic(characteristics:(
There!are!21!species!and!subspecies!of!
Combretum,!which!can!be!hard!to!
distinguish!between7.!!The!C.&imberbe!
has!uniquely!small!fourSwinged!
seedpods.!!SweetSsmelling!flowers!are!
tiny!umbical!inflorescences!with!a!color!
range!from!green!to!yellow7.!!The!C.&
imberbe!tends!to!grow!along!dry!
riverbeds!where!water!is!plentiful!
underground7.!!The!tree’s!maximum!
height!can!be!up!to!12!m7!!!Featuring!
greySbrown!bark!rough!in!texture,!it’s!
easy!to!confuse!with!other!species!by!
structure!alone7.!!C.&imberbe!has!dark!
green!elliptical!leaves!that!have!flaky!
7.!!These!narrow!leaves!measure!30!to!80!mm!in!length!with!rippled!
layers
margins13.!!Its!distribution!is!specific!to!northern!Namibia!and!the!Caprivi13.!!!!
!
Governmental(protection(status:(The!Forestry!Ordinance!has!protected!this!
species!of!Combretum7.!!!
(
Indigenous(medicinal(use:!!