Senegalia nigrescens
Senegalia nigrescens, commonly known as the Black Wattle, is a versatile medicinal tree native to African savannas. Renowned for its therapeutic properties, various parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine to treat ailments ranging from skin infections to digestive issues, showcasing its significant importance in ethnobotanical practices.
- Scientific name: Senegalia nigrescens
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales. Finally, it is a member of the Fabaceae family within the genus Senegalia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Senegalia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Senegalia nigrescens, is known by various regional names depending on the linguistic context. In English, it is commonly referred to as black wattle, while in French, it is known as acacia noire. Within local African languages, it is frequently called mupunje in Bemba or mupunje in Nyanja.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several regions of the African continent. In East Tropical Africa, it can be found growing within the borders of Tanzania. Moving toward the southern regions, the species is well-established in the country of Angola. It is also commonly documented throughout South Tropical Africa in Malawi and Mozambique. Finally, its presence extends further into the southern reaches of the continent within Zambia.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Angola | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Malawi | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Mozambique | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zambia | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zimbabwe | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Botswana | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Caprivi Strip | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Namibia | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | KwaZulu-Natal | WCVP |
Chemicals
Senegalia nigrescens has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, lupeol, melanoxetin, quercetin, quercetin-3-O-methyl ether.
- Total chemicals
- 7
- Scientific sources
- 7
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lupeol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| melanoxetin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| quercetin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| quercetin-3-O-methyl ether | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stigmasterol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tetracosan-1-ol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Senegalia nigrescens has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include convulsions, dysentery.
- Total uses
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| convulsions | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dysentery | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |