| Hymenocardia acida | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Phyllanthaceae |
| Genus: | Hymenocardia |
| Species: | H. acida
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| Binomial name | |
| Hymenocardia acida | |
Hymenocardia acida is a plant of the family Phyllanthaceae native to tropical Africa. It is a small tree that grows to 10 m tall.[1][2] Occurs in the Guinea and Sudanian savannah zones and deciduous woodland, from Senegal eastwards to Ethiopia and southwards reaching Zimbabwe.[3][4]
A dioecious and deciduous species,[3] the trunk is often short up to 30 cm in diameter, while the bark is commonly smooth, pale brown to grey in color, flakes off to reveal a powdery reddish to orange inner bark. The leaves are alternate, simple in arrangement with stipules that are up to 3 mm long; leaf-blade is elliptic to oblong in outline up to 9.5 cm long and 5 cm wide, and a coriaceous surface with golden to orange scales beneath.[3] Male flowers are reddish to yellow in color, and appears in axillary clusters of spikes up to 9 cm long. Female flower are green and in a terminal raceme. [3]
The Cyclopeptide alkaloid, hymenocardine has been isolated from the stem bark extract of the tree.[5] Leaf extracts identified the presence of the chemical compound lupeol.[5]
In traditional medical practice, some communities use leaf and root extracts as part of a regimen to treat malaria, inflammatory related ailments and pain, and various extracts of the plant is used to aid the healing process from skin ailments.[5]