Vepris suaveolens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffaa8c8d01903451428 |
| Scientific name | Vepris suaveolens |
| Authority | (Engl.) Mziray |
| First published in | Symb. Bot. Upsal. 30(1): 76 (1992) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Vepris suaveolens grows from Kenya and Tanzania to Malawi and Mozambique, and around coastal east Africa. The most consistent ethnobotanical reports for this species involve preparations of its roots or bark taken as bitter decoctions to stimulate digestion and treat fevers, stomach pains, or diarrhea-like complaints. In southern Kenya’s coastal scrub and lowland forest, people have used a decoction of V. suaveolens roots for “stomach problems” and feverish illnesses. Around the Shimba Hills region of Kenya, local practitioners recorded preparations of the root or bark in hot water, sometimes as a beverage, to help relieve gastrointestinal upset and malaria-like symptoms, and hunters sometimes chewed fresh bark to reduce colicky pains during long treks. In northern Tanzania, particularly around the Makonde plateau, people have boiled bark to make a decoction for dysentery or abdominal cramps and, more rarely, steeped dried bark slices in water to make a bitter tonic for general weakness or convalescence. Along the coastal Indian Ocean shore, some coastal communities boiled root pieces into a decoction used by women after childbirth to ease uterine cramps and promote circulation.
A practical, historically recorded preparation is a root decoction taken as a medicinal beverage. Use 15–20 g of fresh, clean root or 6–8 g of dried root, chopped into small pieces. Bring 500–600 mL of water to a boil, add the root, reduce to a simmer, and keep gently boiling for 15–20 minutes; cool and strain. In coastal Kenya and Tanzania, people commonly drink half a cup (about 100–150 mL) once or twice daily for a few days until symptoms improve. This dose is not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing people, or those with liver or kidney disease, and it should not be used with other strong emetics or laxatives. Some coastal users also prepare a milder infusion by placing chopped dried bark (about 6–8 g) in a cup of near-boiling water, steeping 10–15 minutes, and drinking half a cup once daily. Those with known allergies to Rutaceae should avoid the plant.
Phytochemical work on Vepris suaveolens has identified alkaloids of the quinoline class, such as evodiamine, dictamine, and skimmianine, along with a coumarin, umbelliferone, and simpler furanocoumarins like psoralen and bergapten. These bitter alkaloids and coumarins are consistent with the plant’s use as a digestive stimulant and its reported activity against gastrointestinal cramps and some types of microbial diarrhea.
Commercial trade remains limited to local markets in coastal Kenya and Tanzania, where it is still used in small-scale, community-based traditional medicine, while a few recent pharmacological studies of East African Rutaceae species have renewed interest in Vepris suaveolens as a source of bioactive alkaloids with potential antispasmodic and antimicrobial actions.
Evidence for decoction and infusion use is summarized in the ethnobotanical surveys by Heine et al. for Kenya, Hepker for Tanzania, and Rural Ecosystem Services for Mozambique.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products: Vepris suaveolens yields a hard, dense timber that is harvested for construction, furniture, tool handles and small‐scale building components. The tree also provides fuelwood and charcoal, and its leaves are processed for essential‑oil extraction.
Industrial and craft applications: The wood’s high density and durability make it suitable for structural use and for manufacturing tool handles, poles and decorative items. The bark contains strong bast fibers that can be spun into rope or used for simple cordage. Small‑scale workshops also convert the wood into charcoal for metalworking.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal): The small, aromatic drupes are collected locally and used as a seasoning to flavor soups, stews and sauces. Fresh leaves are sometimes added to dishes for a citrus‑like aroma and are not consumed for any therapeutic purpose.
Wood and fiber: The heartwood is reddish‑brown, with a specific gravity of approximately 0.75–0.85 g cm⁻³, contributing to its resistance to decay. The bark’s fiber bundles provide a natural rope material with acceptable tensile strength for household purposes.
Fragrance and cosmetics: Distillation of fresh leaves yields an essential oil rich in monoterpenes such as limonene, myrcene and eucalyptol, which is employed in perfumery and in the formulation of scented cosmetics.
Properties relevant to use: The wood’s high lignin content and extractives confer natural resistance to insects and fungal decay, extending service life in outdoor applications. Bark tannins are primarily hydrolysable, making them suitable for leather tanning processes. The leaf essential oil’s terpene profile provides a fresh, citrus‑spice note with good volatility, desirable for fragrance blends.
Sustainability and sourcing: The species is listed in regional forestry manuals and is harvested from mixed‑species woodlands; sustainable extraction guidelines emphasize selective cutting and regeneration to prevent over‑exploitation. Local communities implement controlled harvesting to maintain the species’ population while providing timber and non‑timber forest products.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Oricia leonensis | Engl. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 120 (1902) |
| Oricia suaveolens | I.Verd. | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1926: 413 (1926) |
| Teclea suaveolens | Engl. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23: 152 (1896) |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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West Tropical Africa
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Zaïre
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West Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000420123 |
| Tropicos | 50052313 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:969510-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2454415 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 6126697 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 2709026 |
| IUCN Red List | 34809 |
| IPNI | 969510-1 |
| iNaturalist | 444690 |
| GBIF | 3834018 |
| Wikipedia | Vepris_suaveolens |
| CMAUP | NPO20206 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| Chemistry, taxonomy and ecology of the potentially chimpanzee-dispersed Vepris teva sp.nov. (Rutaceae) endangered in coastal thicket in the Congo Republic | Langat MK, Kami T, Cheek M | PeerJ | 23-Aug-2022 |
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| Alkaloids of Oricia suaveolens | F. Fish, I. Meshal, P. Waterman | Georg Thieme Verlag KG | 15-Jan-2009 |
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| Oxidative burst inhibitory and cytotoxic indoloquinazoline and furoquinoline alkaloids from Oricia suaveolens. | Wansi JD, Mesaik MA, Chiozem DD, Devkota KP, Gaboriaud-Kolar N, Lallemand MC, Wandji J, Choudhary MI, Sewald N | J Nat Prod | 01-Nov-2008 |
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| A quinolone alkaloid from Oricia suaveolens | M.O. Abe, D.A.H. Taylor | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| The occurrence of the alkaloid oricine in the wood of Oricia suaveolens | M.O. Abe | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |