Shinglewood

Terminalia superba

Physical Characteristics

Terminalia superba is a deciduous Tree growing to 40 m (131ft) by 40 m (131ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Flies. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

West Tropical Africa - Guinea Bissau to Cameroon and DR Congo, south to Angola.

Habitats

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Anodyne Antidiarrhoeal Antiemetic Antihaemorrhoidal Astringent Diuretic Dysentery Expectorant Laxative Malaria The bark is anodyne, astringent and expectorant. Decoctions and macerations are used in traditional medicine to treat wounds, sores, haemorrhoids, diarrhoea, dysentery, malaria, vomiting, gingivitis, bronchitis, aphthae, swellings and ovarian troubles[299 ]. The leaves are diuretic[299 ]. The roots are laxative[299 ]. The bark contains gallic acid and methyl gallate, which have shown significant glycosidase inhibition activity[299 ]. A methanol extract of the stem bark showed vasorelaxant and antidiabetic activities[299 ]. Ethanol extracts of the roots and stems showed distinct trypanocidal activity against both drug-sensitive as well as multi-drug-resistant strains of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei[299 ].

Known Hazards

Although the timber is widely used in the wood industry, skin irritations are rare. However, there have been various reports as follows:- Splinters of the wood can cause wounds that become increasingly inflamed and resist healing[407 ]. Vesicular dermatitis of the fingers, apparently caused by the sawdust, has been observed[407 ]. Contact dermatitis from the wood dust in ten Swiss workers has been reported[407 ]. The wood can also cause respiratory disorders such as asthma and bleeding of the nose and gums, and also contact urticaria[407 ].