Combretum micranthum

Kinkeliba
Combretum micranthum , Burkina Faso
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Combretaceae
Genus:	Combretum
Species:	C. micranthum
Binomial name
Combretum micranthum G. Don

Known as kinkeliba in Senegal and the Gambia across multiple regional dialects, Combretum micranthum is a shrub species often found in tiger bush and on hills in West Africa.

Uses

Combretum micranthum
traditionally used against Malaria

• The branches are quite strong, and are a useful material for building stools, beds, tool handles, etc.

• A tea made produced by steeping the leaves in boiling water is a traditional tonic drink in tropical savannah countries such as Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. It is believed to be an aid to weight loss and have detoxifying properties.

• Among West African Muslims, especially Wolofs, Fulas, and Mandinkas, the leaves, bark, and twigs of Kinkiliba are harvested and sold in bundles during the dry season leading up to and during the month of Ramadan. The Kinkiliba is used daily to brew a strong tea that is mixed with sugar and milk and drank with bread at sundown as a means of breaking the daily fast. Kinkiliba is used specifically for this purpose because of its sweet flavor and because it is believed to be an appetite stimulant, as those who have been fasting want to be able to enjoy as much rich food as possible in the evening after eating nothing from sunrise to sunset.

• In Burkina Faso, a decoction of the leaves is used as a medication for malaria.

External links

• Combretum micranthum in Brunken, U., Schmidt, M., Dressler, S., Janssen, T., Thiombiano, A. & Zizka, G. 2008. West African plants - A Photo Guide. www.westafricanplants.senckenberg.de.