Guiera

Guiera is a flowering plant genus in the family Combretaceae. Guiera senegalensis is the only known species in the genus, found in Tropical Africa in dry areas from Senegal to Sudan (requiring much sunlight and light dry soil).[1] The plant produces the tannin 3,4,5-Tri-O-galloylquinic acid and several alkaloids of the harmane family.[2]

Guiera
Inflorescence and flowers of Guiera senegalensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Combretaceae
Genus: Guiera
Adans. ex Juss.
Species:
G. senegalensis
Binomial name
Guiera senegalensis

Uses

The plant as a whole is often decorative, however the leaves are known as a medicinal 'cure-all' in Africa: It is known for being hypotensive, antidiarrhetic, anti-inflammatory, and helpful for coughs.

Its bark yields a marketable gum; its branches are used for baskets, framework, and fences; its roots for toothpicks; and its smoke repels flies.[1]

Ecology

Guiera is a pioneer species, spread via animal dispersal and grows well in impoverished soil.

It is an indicator species of overgrazed land.[1]

Water pump

Guiera naturally "pumps" water to the surface in a process called hydraulic lift or hydraulic redistribution (HR): When grown as a companion plant with millet and other thirsty crops, excess water drawn up by Guiera senegalensis’ deep roots during the night is excreted and becomes available to the surrounding crop, dramatically increasing the yield in the case of millet.[3][4]

References
  1. "Guiera senegalensis". The Ferns (tropical.theferns.info). Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  2. Fiot, Julien; Sanon, Souleymane; Azas, Nadine; Mahiou, Valérie; Jansen, Olivia; Angenot, Luc; et al. (2006). "Phytochemical and pharmacological study of roots and leaves of Guiera senegalensis J.F. Gmel (Combretaceae)". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 106 (2): 173–178.
  3. Bogie, Nathaniel A.; Bayala, Roger; Diedhiou, Ibrahima; Conklin, Martha H.; Fogel, Marilyn L.; Dick, Richard P.; Ghezzehei, Teamrat A. (18 September 2018). "Hydraulic redistribution by native Sahelian shrubs: Bio-irrigation to resist in-season drought". Frontiers in Environmental Science. 6: 98. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2018.00098. ISSN 2296-665X.
  4. Roll, Nick (2022-02-20). "Farmers in Senegal learn to respect a scruffy shrub that gets no respect". Goats and Soda. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2022-02-20.


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