Balanites aegyptiacus

Balanites aegyptiacus:

Floral Description:

East Africa, Arabia, Egypt. Evergreen tree, fluted trunk,  slow-growing, rounded crown, thorny branches, long straight  green spines arranged spirally along the branches, smooth  bark fissured, distinctive leaves with two grey-green leaflets,  yellow-green clusters of flowers, yellow oblong date-like fruit , very hard pointed seed surrounded by bittersweet flesh, ripe fruit edible, young leaves and tender shoots.

Medicinal Activities and Uses

Used in Ayurveda and Unani. Bark juice poisonous.  Antivenin, antidote for snakebites. Antifungal. Roasted seeds  given in cough, seeds given to children in colic; oil from the  seeds in treating burns; seed powder given internally as mild purgative. Gum from wood mixed with maize-meal porridge and eaten to treat chest complaints. Fruit pulp mild purgative; dried powdered fruits taken orally to prevent  pregnancy; fruit paste put over the forehead for migraine, also applied over an old ulcer, on boils and acne; fruit pulp given in diarrhea; fruits used as suppository for expulsion of worms. Root and fruits anthelmintics and arrow-poison antidote. Roots emetic, a decoction used to treat abdominal pains, intestinal worms, malaria, diarrhea and as an antidote f or poisoning; roots paste for reducing swellings caused by insect bites. Bark infusion used to treat heartburn. Flowers and leaves for ceremonial use; seed oil used by Hindu priests in the ceremony of initiating a Hindu. Crushed stem bark and roots piscicides and molluscicide; emulsion of the fruit used as a fish poison; crushed leaves for stupefying fishes. Veterinary medicine, roots of Indigofera trita along with stem bark of Balanites aegyptiacus, stem of Cissus quadrangularis and Tinospora cordifolia pounded and the extract given in impaction.

Common Names:

in English: desert date, Egyptian balsam, Egyptian myrobalan, soapberry bush, soapberry tree, thorn tree, Zachum oil tree
in Arabic: heglig, balah harara, zachun, zacon, zaqqoum
in Africa: aduwa (Hausa); kingo, ol-ngoswa (Masai); arraronyit (Turkana); baddan (Boran); odhto (Luo); lungoswa (Taveta); mulului (Kamba); mnyira, njienjia, mjunju  (Swahili); mjuiya (Batemi); balah harara (the fruits); ngoswet (Kipsigis)
in Angola: buza pundi
in Benin: gamènlè, garbey, pawounpakabu
in Congo: seguene
in East Africa: mjunju, mkonga, mohoromo, musongole, novire
in Ethiopia: baddanno, beddenna, domoho, ‘ndrur, qaq, qog, selibatiqo
in Ghana: kabowoo, gongogua, chiala, chakko, gongo, gushiocho
in Kenya: baddan, baddana, chuuandet, echomai, eroronyit, ilokwa, kilului, kiwowa, kullan, lowei, lowvai, lowwai, mchunju, mjunju, mkonga, mubadana, mububua, mubuubua, mulului, mwambangoma, ng’osonaik, ng’oswet, ng’osyet, ngonswo, ngoswa, olng’oswa, olokwai, osaragi, otho, othoo, tuyun, tuyunwo
in Mali: molo, segene; nsègènè (Bambara); sikha woro
(Minyanka); sancere logolo (Sénoufo); bwolio (Bwa); tane tani (Peuhl)
in Nigeria: balie; adawa, adowa, aduwa (Hausa); tanni (Fula); kingo (Kanuri); hajlij (Shuwa Arabic)
in Rhodesia: umLendhovu, isiXobo, muTambanto, muOngo; Zachun oil (the oil)
in Sahara: teborak, teishett
in Senegal: ayalid, soump; ségéné (Bambara); modèl (Sérère); sump (Volof)
in S. Rhodesia: muTambantau, muTambanto, muOngo
in Sudan: guerbe hono, mourotoki, segaine, soump, taborak, tchaichot
in Tanzania: ganyamda, hawi, hotlimo, ilokwa, iteru, kivambang’ombe, mdori, mduguya, mduguyu, mfughuyu, mjijiva, mjirya, mjuguyu, mjunju, mkisingo, mkonga, mkongo, mnuwili, modori, mohoromo, mruguhu, mudugunga, muvambang’oma, muwambangoma, mwambangoma, myuguyu, myuguyugu, nchunju, nduguyu, nyijiva, nyuguyu, olng’oswa, olngoswa, olokwai, osaragi
in Zambia: mubambwangoma, mulyanzovu
in India: akantaka, angaravrksa, angarvriksha, angulidala, anilantaka, baam, banchadi, bhallakiviriksha, daruparnaphala, egorca, elheglyg, gara, gara-chettu, garachetti, gari, gauritvac (Gauri, goddess of abundance; tvac, worship), gaurtvaka, gouritvac, heghelig, hingalbet, hingam, hingan, hingan-ka-per, hinganbet, hingane, hingen, hinger, hingol, hingonya, hingora, hingoriyo, hingorni, hingot, hingota, hingotia, hingotio, hingoto, hingu, hingudi, hinguputra, ingala, ingalarade, ingalare, ingaleeka, ingalike,ingalukke, ingna, ingol, ingori, ingoria, ingorio, ingoriyo, ingoriyu, ingua, inguda, ingudam, ingulada mara, ingudi, ingudi-vraksha, ingudivrikshaha, ingul, inguni, jalajantu, kantaka, krisharaka, kroshtuphala, manchuta, meenu mara, munipadapa, namunta, nanchundan, nanchunta, nancuntan, nanjunda, nanjundan, putigandha, putranjiva, putripatra, ringri, shulari, tailabija, tanupatra, tapasadruma,
tapasamudrama, tapasataru, tiktaka, tiktarnajja,
toruvattu, vinashaka
in Tibet: i ngu da