Common Name:

General Information

Coursetia glandulosa is a deciduous shrub or a tree that can grow from 1 - 10 metres tall. The plant spreads by means of root suckers and can form colonies. The stems are erect, long and very pliant[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern N. America - southern Arizona to southern Mexico

Habitat

Tropical dry forests, desert scrub; at elevations from sea level to 1,800 metres[]. Tropical deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, dry, spiny forest, xerophilous scrub, pasture, mesophyll mountain forest, oak and pine forests[]..

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Coursetia glandulosa is found from the arid, subtropical regions of southern Arizona to the dry tropical forests of western Mexico, growing at elevations up to 1,800 metres. It can experience some frosts, at least in the north of its range.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A gum obtained from the stems is used as a remedy for stomach aches and hangovers[]. It is dissolved in water and used as a cough syrup, and was once thought to be a remedy for tuberculosis[].

The bark is purgative. A decoction is used to give medicinal baths, or it is administered orally in case of jaundice, venereal disease, tuberculosis and scorpion stings and is also used as a purgative[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has a vigorous root system and forms suckers. It adapts readily to unstable soils where it can form dense colonies, thus stabilizing the soil[].

Other Uses

A species of lac scale insect (Tachardiella fulgens) is often found on the branches of this plant. The insects exude a conspicuous, dark reddish, gummy substance which surrounds them and protects them from predators. They live in a symbiotic relationship with a species of aphidicolous ants which tend their larvae and feed on the sap extracted by the scale insects. Branches can often be found with considerable quantities of this exudate on then, often with the insects still inside. The gum has a long history of use for medicinal purposes, as an adhesive, a sealant on food containers, an ingredient of a high grade varnishes and various other purposes[, ].

The long stems are very resilient and can bend to small angles without breaking. They are used traditionally for making harpoon shafts, bows, digging tools and ramrods[]. They should also be very suitable for basket making[].

Propagation

Seed -