African blackwood
Dalbergia melanoxylon · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Sparse (6 studies) · ★☆☆☆☆
African blackwood, scientifically known as Dalbergia melanoxylon, is a highly prized timber tree found across eastern and southern Africa. Beyond its legendary use in musical instrument crafting, various parts of the plant hold significant medicinal value, traditionally utilized in folk remedies to treat ailments ranging from skin conditions to inflammation.
Names
Common Names
- african-blackwood
- African Blackwood
- African Ebony
- Mozambique Ebony
- African-ebony
- Chinese blackwood
- Mozambique-ebony
- Senaar-ebony
- Senegal-ebony
- Sudan-ebony
- poyi
- Blackwood Dalbergia
- Ebony Dalbergia
- Grenadille Wood
- Rhodesian Bird-Cherry
- Senegal Ebony
- Ungoro Ebony
- Zebrawood Flatbean
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- ébano de Mozambique
German:
- Grenadill
- Zebraholz
- Afrikanischer Grenadilla
French:
- ébène du Mozambique
- grenadille du Mozambique
- ébène du Sénégal
- grenadille d'Afrique
- Ébène du Mozambique
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Dalbergia melanoxylonSynonyms
- Amerimnon stocksii
- Dalbergia stocksii
- Amerimnon melanoxylon
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is a member of the family Fabaceae and is classified under the genus Dalbergia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Dalbergia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant, known as Dalbergia melanoxylon, exhibits a specific distribution across the West Tropical Africa region. It can be found growing within the borders of Burkina. Additionally, its natural habitat extends into the territory of Guinea. The species is also documented to occur in the Ivory Coast. Finally, its geographical range includes parts of Mali and Mauritania.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mauritania | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Togo | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Central African Republic | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Dalbergia melanoxylon, possesses various components that are utilized for their medicinal properties, most notably its leaves and bark. The leaves are often studied for their bioactive compounds, while the bark is highly valued in traditional practices, frequently used to prepare decoctions or extracts to address specific health concerns. Together, these plant parts represent the primary elements harvested from the species for therapeutic purposes.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Dalbergia melanoxylon has 3 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antimicrobial.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Dalbergia melanoxylon has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include snakebites.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| snakebites | Pharmaceutical biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| aqueous extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| citric acid extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dichloromethane extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol and distilled water extracts | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| petroleum ether extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |