Azima tetracantha: bee-hanger, bee-sting, bee-sting bush, by-angel, fire thorn, four thorns, needle bush, stink bush

Azima tetracantha

Common Names:

in English: bee-hanger, bee-sting, bee-sting bush, by-angel, fire thorn, four thorns, needle bush, stink bush
in India: accamaram, ae sagale, aesagale maale, aesagale mele, aesagale mutthu, ancil, ancirikacceti, anji, atiyamam, bilee uppina gida, bili uppi gida, bilivuppi, biliwuppi, cankakiranam, cankam, cankam ver, cankan, cankan kuppi, cankan kuppi ilai, cankan ver, cankanceti, canku, cankucceti, carini, cattinakitacceti, cattinakitam, catukkini, changan, cuvacakkini, egachi, elam, elu, elukacceti, elukam, esagale motu, esagelemale, esagelemuttu, esalake, esanku, etu, etukacceti, etukam, evakaanacceti, evakanacceti, evakanam, ganjimullu, hallusunde, hullu sunde, icanku, ichanka, ijangu, inkanceti, isangu, iyanku, kanda-gur-kamay, kandagachangam, kandaki, kanniram, kanta-gur-kamai, kantakacankam, kantaccanku, kantangur, kantagurkamai, karavelasangam, kavarelucankam, kecchalu baavu, kokkai, kokkarai, kol, kolaccankam, kolaccanku, kolachangu, koturai, koturaicceti, koturi, koturicceti, kucitamiyam, kuncitamiyacceti, kundali, kuntal, kuntalatti, kuntali, kuntalikacceti, kunthali, miccenkan, minnikizhangu, mucaippul, mujangu, mukai, mulcanku, mulchangan, mullsangan, mulluccanku, mulluchangu, mullukari, mulsangu, mulsanguyelai, muluccanku, mundla kampa, mutai, mutcamkan, mutcankam, mutcankan, mutcanku, muttam, muttapalam, muttayilai, nalla-sanganchedi, nallacanku, nallochangam, narcankan, narcanku, nirccanku, pannaicavitam, pannaiccervitacceti, pannaiccevitacceti, pannaiccevitam, puttu, sangan, sanguchedi, sangumul, sankan, sankunkuppi, shankunkuppi, sukkaa paatha, sukkapat, sung ilai, sungam-chedi, tantapalini, tella-upi, tella uppi, tellavuppi, telluppi, thellavuppi, thelluppi, trikantagati, trikantajata, trikantajati, tuti, tuticcerikacceti, tuticcevikacceti, tuticcevikam, tutiyanci, tutiyancikacceti, tutiyancikam, uppara, uppu chekka, uppugobe, uttapalam, uvarcankam, uvarccankam, uvarccankanceti, vellaiccanku, virutakuntali, vuppukampa, yagachi mullu, yasank, yasanku, yellesundi, yesagale, yesigelamotu, yesigilamali
Malay name: pekan
in Namibia: onyarayongwe
in Southern Africa: byangel, byangelbos, byhanger, groendoring, naaibos (= sewing bush), naaldebos, speldedoring, speldoring, stinkbos; ndewe (Swahili); isiKhumukela, iHlazane, umGeza, umGeya, iNgungumela, inGungumela, gecaya (Zulu); iGcegcelya, iceGceya, iGceleya (Xhosa); ribaba (Tsonga)
in Swaziland: ligumkela, ligumkelii, siKhumekele, umvusankunzi
in Tanzania: mdunga ndewe, mpilipili tawa, mswaki ndume

Pharmacological Activity and Uses:

Wood avoided as fuel wood because the smoke is considered poisonous. Pricks from thorns, unpleasant burning sensations. Whole plant diuretic, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic, antiproliferative, antifungal, antioxidant and astringent, used to treat dropsy, dyspepsia, chronic diarrhea, diabetes and arthritis; sap disinfectant, used in oral health care and applied directly to treat toothache and bleeding gums after tooth extraction. Pounded roots applied directly to snakebites; root decoction to treat stomach disorders; root, root bark and leaves added to food as a remedy for rheumatism. Leaves infusion to treat venereal diseases; pickled leaves against colds; leaves made into a paste with water used for fever; juice of the leaves expectorant, said to relieve the cough, bronchitis, vomiting, tuberculosis and asthma, also applied as eardrops against earache and crushed leaves placed on painful teeth; leaf powder antiinflammatory, wound-healing. Juice of the berries applied directly into the ear to treat earache. Veterinary medicine, roots ground and given with rice soaked water for knee pains; dried root ground, put in cold water and given to cows to facilitate difficult parturition; leaves ground with tubers of Asparagus racemosus given in fevers.

Cultivation Details

Azima tetracantha varies considerably over the range of its distribution, yet it is an easily recognizable and distinct species. In southern Africa the male plants lack spines, or have poorly developed ones, while female specimens have long spines A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.