Euclea racemosa subsp. schimperi (A.DC.) F.White

This tree is propagated by seeds. Steps to follow: • Sow collected seeds in seed tray filled with a ratio of 3 peat moss: 1 compost, 5 cm apart. • Irrigate the seed tray three times a week. • Germination commences from 6–22 days onward. Seed germination of this species is around 5%.

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Sea Guarrie
Dune Guarrie
Bush Guarri
Glossy Guarri
River Guarri

Miller & Morris (1988) mentioned that: "The fruits when green and unripe [J: kisor] were very popular with women, and in particular pregnant women. The berries then reddened and fatten up and in this mature state [J: mosor] were popular with everyone. Goats love them especially when they are fully ripe. The red and bitter under bark of the root [J: kizfot esirox, 'bark of the root'] was chewed both to refresh and disinfect the mouth , and, in particular to stain the tongue, lips and gums red to make the mouth more beautiful and to set off gleaming white teeth. Pieces of the root were also cut and tip peeled and crushed to make a tooth stick, (as with the root of the Salvadora persica bush) which was chewed and rubbed over the teeth to clean and whiten them. Chewing of the bark was also considered to act as ... a blood purifier, general tonic and cleanser for the whole body. Bunches of the new red-tinged growth tips too were chewed for the same reddening and cleansing effect, but the stain is not as dark , and the taste altogether milder and less pungent. Medicinally, the leaves were eaten by someone who has gorged on meat and was suffering from indigestion or by someone who was suffering from colic or severe diarrhea. The under bark was sliced off in long slivers and wrapped and secured around a fractured limb to hold it steady to allow the bone to set , to act as an antiseptic and to soothe the pain of the inflammation. Leaves and soft new growing tips of the tree were put inside the bag which was tied over the udder of a camel in milk to prevent her young from suckling too freely. The medicinal properties of the leaves were said to prevent infection and subsequent mastitis. The leaves were also used to treat a mild or threatened case of mastitis. The tree was important as fodder, especially for camels, providing fodder at the end of the dry season when other foods were scarce. Even cattle eat the foliage in lean years. The leaves were mixed [J: xult] with dried sardines to tempt livestock to take them, the green glossy leaves encouraging the animals to take the otherwise rather unapalatable dried fish. Care had to be taken when cutting this tree for fodder, since unlike Anogeissus dhofarica, the wood if badly cut does not grow again. The effects of careless and greedy cutting of this tree can be seen now in Dhofar and in some areas many of these trees are dying back. The cut branches were popular as fencing material around the mouths of cave dwellings (especially during and just after the rains), providing a dense wall keeping out the insects which proliferate at this time and are a great pest, unsettling the livestock, transmitting disease and causing illness and fevers in the smaller or younger animals. The green wood of the tree was often burned as an insecticide during the part of the wet season when the biting flies were at their worst. The wood burned very noisily, producing sparks and much dense, black smoke which all insects seem to dislike. Such wood was also burned in the agricultural plots to rid the growing plants of the tiny red caterpillars called in [J: efse], which attacked in particular the flowers and young fruit of the cow peas [J: dujur], an important staple in the diet of the cattle herders. Other woods were also burned to discourage the depredations of insects: the wood of both the larger figs, Ficus vasta [J: tik] and Ficus sycomorus [J: gizit], and the wood of Commiphora babessinica [J: okor] - all of which produce little flame but quantities of acrid smoke. The most widely used insecticide, however, was the cow dung collected from the centre of the settlement dung heap and stored in a dry place against the monsoon rains. The wood was also popular for the making of utensils. It is a lovely dark red colour - always a favoured colour for all sorts of artifact - and is close grained and strong. Experts would cut a suitable branch, shape the wood and then rub it with butter or fat (as a preservative and to strengthen it) to make the long handled spoons [J: m' alkut, megref] used everywhere in the mountains, which with use became a glossy ebony black. Handles for implements were also carved , such as the bulb-digging tool with a metal tip [J: zik], the harvesting implement like a curved sickle [J: misreb] and the various hatchets and choppers used in wood cutting [J: gizeret] and the two sticks joined at the base [J: me'abdeb] used to remove the red-hot stones from the fire to drop them into the milk-bowl to heat and sterilise the fresh milk. The under bark cut into little chips and slivers with the resin-bearing alburnum was used to make a dye for the coarse unbleached cotton formerly imported into Dhofar, worn mostly by men. The pieces of bark were boiled up and then left to macerate in the water until the desired shade has been obtained, and then the cloth lowered in and the whole brought up to the boil again, and left simmering until the cloth was a strong enough colour. The flowers of this tree are delicious smelling, and were plucked and held to the nose to ward off evil smells and malignant influences which were considered to be an important factor in causing illness and disease". (Ref. Plants of Dhofar).

*Ghazanfar, S. (2003). Flora of the Sultanate of Oman, vol.1: Piperaceae – Primulaceae. Meise, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Scripta Botanica Begica, Vol. 25). ISBN 90-72619-55-2 ISSN 0779-2387. *https://en.wikipedia.org *https://casabio.org *https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw *https://plants.jstor.org *Miller, A., Morris, M. (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the Southern Region of Oman: Traditional, Economic, and Medicinal Uses. Published by Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman; ISBN 10: 0715708082 ISSN 13: 9780715708088. *POWO (2023). ""Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org