Securidaca longepedunculata

Common name: Snake tree

African names - Wolof: füf

- Bambara: ndêdo or dioro

~ Peuhl: dutu

-Goun and Fon: Kpèta

use

Throughout Black Africa, the roots of Securidaca long pedunculate are known to repel snakes from dwellings. On the other hand, by ingesting about a gram of roots, traditional healers protect themselves from snake bites when they go into the bush to harvest their plants. The root is white and is widely used as a powder to make plasters on painful places due to rheumatism, the roots are also very active against all intestinal parasites. The powder from the roots treats sinusitis. The roots facilitate ovulation in women and are used in many herbal teas to treat painful periods and infertility. I myself use the roots to treat rheumatism, paralysis, and nerve problems.

Description

It is a shrub 3 to 4 meters high. The leaves are alternate, rounded at the top. The flowers are purple in clusters and appear during the dry season. This plant is found throughout Senegal, Mali, RCI, and Burkina Faso.

Curative action

The anti-inflammatory action is due to a heteroside giving methyl salicylate which, like all salicylates derivatives, is anti-inflammatory (similar to aspirin); it is also this product that gives the characteristic odor of the plant. The antivenom action has also been verified. It has been proven that in the root of Securidaca there was a protein similar to that of snake venom but less toxic which, by binding to the receptors of the venom, prevented it from acting. Thus this justifies the ingestion by the traditional healer of a pinch of powdered roots before leaving for the bush to protect themselves from snake bites. You can treat yourself by swallowing the same powder after being stung and, with a maceration of the plant, you can also wash the eyes of people who have received Najas venom. This plant also has an antibacterial and deworming action.

Direction of use

- Joint Pain and Rheumatism

Make a plaster of the crushed root on the painful part. You can mix the powder in a balm or shea butter. You can also rub the pulped root directly on the inflamed area or wash with a root maceration. A good remedy for aches and pains and nerve problems and snake stings

--In prevention, swallow a pinch of root powder. After a bite, swallow the same amount of powder. Wash eyes if they have received venom with concentrated root maceration.

--Root powder is a good dewormer for internal use.

- When we take the powder from the roots in the nostrils, we sneeze a lot and this causes the sinuses to flow in cases of chronic sinusitis.

--Roots cure sterility in women but in association with other bark and roots.

Note: In internal use, the plant slightly irritates the throat but it passes very quickly and the herbal tea becomes bearable.