Godwin Muhwezi-Bonge
7 May 2008
Hidden in the lower echelons of Mabira forest in Central Uganda, a short scrawny shrub is all but visible to conservationists and nature lovers.
Even when noticed, it would pass for any other shrub of less than 3 metres struggling to survive among the kings of the jungle that rise higher than 14 metres. But the little known shrub is a well kept secret among amorous poachers and traditional herbalists.
Robert Kangujja, a tour guide at Mabira forest explains the importance of the Prunus Africana tree, believed to cure impotence. PHOTOS BY GODWIN MUHWEZI-BONGE
Endemic to natural forests, where it mainly survives playing second fiddle to the gigantic trees of the jungle such as Mvule, and Msizi, Citropsis articulata also known as the "sex tree", is popular among residents and traditional herbalists for its aphrodisiac properties.
"The roots of the Citropsis articulata, are believed to cure impotence," said Mr Hannington Oryem-Orida, a professor of botany at Makerere University who was part of the team that carried out a research study on medicinal plants in Mabira forest.
Researchers spent months in Mabira forest documenting plants commonly used in the treatment of various ailments and concluded that deliberate efforts should be taken to promote growth of medicinal plants in farm gardens.
The growing interest in roots of Citropsis articulata has aroused concern among conservationists. And scientists fear that the tree which has established reputation for being natural Viagra could soon become extinct.
"The tree is being harvested faster than it can reproduce, threatening its long-term survival," Mr Oryem-Orida says.
The poor harvesting methods coupled with slow growth add misery to the plant already struggling with unsolicited attention. "Locals strip the tree of all its roots, leaving it with no chance of survival," Mr Oryem-Orida said. "It is hard to recover lost stock because of its slow growth."
The roots are either chewed while fresh or dried and pounded into powder, which is then mixed with water to form an aphrodisiac concoction.
Although there have not been any chemical tests by the National Chemotherapeutics Laboratory to determine the effectiveness of the aphrodisiac, locals maintain that they have been using the extraction for ages to boost male sexual prowess.
Mr Peter Kasozi, a traditional healer who earns a living selling the remedial roots to men seeking to restore their sexual potency said: "I have used the roots to restore masculine power for more than 15 years and it has never disappointed my patients."
According to him, his patients come from as far as Iganga (about 50 km from Mabira forest) for a piece of root that costs about Shs10,000. "The root lasts for weeks or months, depending on how often you use it," Mr Kasozi said.
While Kasozi says business has been good, he admits that the plant's presence in the forest has drastically reduced over the past 10 years. "It is increasingly becoming difficult to get this tree [Citropsis]," he said.
"I can walk about 8 km into the forest before I find the shrub; that is if I am lucky to find it. Other times I walk long distances and still fail to find it; it has become unpredictable."
Mabira forest is considered one of Africa's most important biodiversity sites for its richness in plant and bird diversity. However, community encroachment on the forest for agriculture as well as for timber and charcoal, threatens its long-term survival.
While the government has since softened their stand on the controversial offer of about 7,000 hectares of Mabira to Sugar Cane Corporation of Uganda following the March 2007 bloody riots against its decision, fears abound that Mabira is not out of the woods yet. It is estimated that Uganda has lost more than 50 percent of its forest cover since the 1970s, and continues to lose more at a rate of 2.2 per cent per year.
Like many other natural forests, Mabira is home to rare plant and animal species. The forest has about 300 bird species, 312 tree species and 199 butterfly species as well as rare primates.
However, uncontrolled harvesting of such plants could threaten the new emerging line of treatment among African communities.
Several other medicinal plant species such as Prunus Africana, a plant used in the treatment of prostate cancer, are also being threatened.
"There is growing interest in medicinal plants as more people move away from synthetic drugs in favour of natural remedies," Dr Margaret Kamatenesi Mugisha, a medical ethnobotany specialist at Makerere University said. "Many now depend on herbal medicine to treat several ailments," adding that many medicinal plants will soon be very scarce in Ugandan forests.
She said there are efforts to domesticate the existing medicinal plants. Their efforts are likely to be met with tough resistances from traditional healers who hold on to their knowledge of herbal medicine with the hope of cashing in on herbs at the time of treatment.
"It is important to keep that knowledge to yourself because when you tell everybody soon people will be rushing for the herbs and there will be no more left to treat people," Mr Kasozi said.
The politics of knowledge sharing among traditional healers and herbalists have always played an obstructing role in the advancement of traditional medicine in Africa.
Herbalists often keep to themselves, knowledge on plants used in treatment of several ailments and only bequeath it to close relatives in an act of inheritance, limiting it to a small circle of people. And it is this mindset that Dr Kamatenesi and her peers seek to change.
"We are working with herbalists to plant medicinal plants in their gardens," she said. "We are also training our students to conserve traditional medicine."
While domestication of traditional medicine may be a long-term remedy to preserve medicinal plants, such efforts may prove futile for Citropsis articulata.
"The plant hardly survives outside the natural forest," Mr Kungujje said. "We tried planting it outside the forest but it failed miserably." For now, hope lies in conserving the natural forest, even as the ever increasing demand to reinstate several Ugandan males' manhood continues.
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As a 60 yr old male I have recently been taking tablets made of Prunus Africana for a male health problem. I find these natural tablets most satisfactory. It concerns me greatly that the tree from which the tablets are made will face extiction with in 10 yrs. I call upon all Members of Governments within the African continent to act QUICKLY to legislate so that these trees/bushes will continue to prosper and provide health benefits for millions of people.
Michael O'Connor Brisbane Australia