Terminalia leiocarpa

{{Speciesbox

|image = Anogeissus leiocarpa MS 4185.JPG

|image_caption = Anogeissus leiocarpa flowers in Burkina Faso

|genus = Terminalia

|species = leiocarpa

|authority = (DC.) Baill. (1876)

|synonyms =

Anogeissus leiocarpa {{small|(DC.) Guill. & Perr. (1832)}}
Anogeissus leiocarpa f. grandifolia {{small|Engl. & Diels (1899)}}
Anogeissus leiocarpa f. parvifolia {{small|Hochst. ex Engl. & Diels (1899)}}
Anogeissus leiocarpa var. schimperi {{small|(Hochst. ex Hutch. & Dalziel) Aubrév. (1950)}}
Anogeissus schimperi {{small|Hochst. ex Hutch. & Dalziel (1927)}}
Conocarpus leiocarpus {{small|DC. (1828)}}
Conocarpus parvifolius {{small|Hochst. ex A.Rich. (1848)}}
Conocarpus schimperi {{small|Hochst. ex A.Rich. (1848)}}
Terminalia schimperi {{small|(Hochst. ex Hutch. & Dalziel) Gere & Boatwr. (2017)}}

|synonyms_ref = {{cite web|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:171202-1|title=Terminalia leiocarpa DC. Baill. |access-date=15 July 2024 |publisher=Kew Science – Plants of the World Online}}

}}

Terminalia leiocarpa (African birch; {{langx|bm|ngálǎma}}) is a species of tree in the genus Terminalia.Baill. In: Hist. Pl. 6: 265. (1876).{{Cite journal |last=Maurin |first=Olivier |last2=Gere |first2=Jephris |last3=Bank |first3=Michelle Van Der |last4=Boatwright |first4=James Stephen |date=2017-06-22 |title=The inclusion of Anogeissus, Buchenavia and Pteleopsis in Terminalia (Combretaceae: Terminaliinae) |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43297770 |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |language=English |volume=184 |issue=3 |pages=312–325 |doi=10.1093/BOTLINNEAN/BOX029|url-access=subscription }}{{cite book|last=Steentoft|first=Margaret|title=Flowering Plants in West Africa|year=1988|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-26192-9 }} It is a deciduous tree native of tropical Africa from Senegal and Guinea in the west to Eritrea in the east and as far south as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Terminalia leiocarpa germinates in the new soils produced by seasonal wetlands. It is a forest fringe plant, growing at the edges of the rainforest, although not deep in the rainforest. It also grows in savanna, and along riverbanks, where it forms gallery forests. The tree flowers in the rainy season, from June to October. The fruit are winged samaras, and are dispersed by ants.

Ethnobotany

It is one of the plants used to make bògòlanfini, a traditional Malian mudcloth. Small branches with leaves are crushed to make one of the yellow dyes.{{cite book|last=Arbonnier|first=Michel|title=Trees, Shrubs and Lianas of West African Dry Zones|year=2004|publisher=Quae|isbn=2-87614-579-0}}

The inner bark of the tree is used as a human and livestock anthelmintic for treating worms, and for treatment of a few protozoan diseases in animals, nagana (an animal trypanosomiasis), and babesiosis.{{cite book|last=Bizimana|first=Nsekuye|title=Traditional Veterinary Practice in Africa|year=1994|publisher=German Technical Cooperation|isbn=3-88085-502-1}}

The inner bark is used as a chewing stick in Nigeria and extracts of the bark show antibacterial properties.{{cite journal|last1=Mann|first1=A.|first2=Y. |last2=Yahaya |first3=A. |last3=Banso |first4=G. O. |last4=Ajayi|title=Phytochemical and antibacterial screening of Anogeissus leiocarpus against some microorganisms associated with infectious wounds|date=March 2008|publisher=Academic Journals}} The stem barks contains castalagin{{Cite journal

| last1 = Shuaibu | first1 = M. N.

| last2 = Pandey | first2 = K.

| last3 = Wuyep | first3 = P. A.

| last4 = Yanagi | first4 = T.

| last5 = Hirayama | first5 = K.

| last6 = Ichinose | first6 = A.

| last7 = Tanaka | first7 = T.

| last8 = Kouno | first8 = I.

| doi = 10.1007/s00436-008-1137-7

| title = Castalagin from Anogeissus leiocarpus mediates the killing of Leishmania in vitro

| journal = Parasitology Research

| volume = 103

| issue = 6

| pages = 1333–1338

| year = 2008

| pmid = 18690475

| s2cid = 37480828

}} and flavogallonic acid dilactone.{{Cite journal | last1 = Shuaibu | first1 = M. N. | last2 = Wuyep | first2 = P. A. | last3 = Yanagi | first3 = T. | last4 = Hirayama | first4 = K. | last5 = Tanaka | first5 = T. | last6 = Kouno | first6 = I. | doi = 10.1007/s00436-008-0879-6 | title = The use of microfluorometric method for activity-guided isolation of antiplasmodial compound from plant extracts | journal = Parasitology Research | volume = 102 | issue = 6 | pages = 1119–1127 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18214539| s2cid = 19496595 }}

Laboratory investigation of the effects of aqueous stem bark extract of Anogeissus leiocarpus, which contains antioxidants, indicates that it provides dose-dependent benefits against gastric ulcers. The observed effectiveness is sufficient to support the ethno medicinal application of the plant in ulcer treatment and management.Hafsat Rufa’i, Humphrey C. Nzelibe and Musa M. Abarshi. Science World Journal Vol. 16(No 3) 2021 www.scienceworldjournal.org ISSN: 1597-6343