Rooter Life

In Sierra Leone the bark of Hunteria umbellata is made into a bitter tonic and used as a stomachic and as a lotion to treat fever. A fresh root-bark extract is applied in Côte d’Ivoire to sores caused by leprosy. The fruit is rich in latex that is an ingredient of arrow poison in Côte d’Ivoire. In Ghana and Nigeria the root and stem bark are used as an anthelmintic, especially against Guinea worm, filaria worms and schistosomiases (causing bilharzia). Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the seeds are used as a cure for piles, yaws, diabetes and stomach ulcers in Nigeria. The bark and the root are used as a bitter tonic in Nigeria, and powdered root and root decoctions are used to prevent miscarriage and to treat menorrhagia. In Cameroon a bark or fruit decoction is taken to treat stomach-ache, liver problems and hernia. The plant is also used in the treatment of geriatric problems. Hunteria umbellata extracts are used in Germany for phytotherapeutic purposes, to reduce the heart rate, as an aphrodisiac, to decrease blood pressure and reduce blood lipid content.
The creamy to yellowish-brown, hardwood is locally used for carving, making combs, spoons, tool handles, police batons, carpenter planes, weaving shuttles and other small articles. In Nigeria forked stems are used as house posts and are considered very durable and immune to termites. In Côte d’Ivoire the wood is used as firewood.