About Kageneckia oblonga Ruiz & Pav.
Kageneckia oblonga Ruiz & Pav. is an evergreen small tree or shrub that grows up to 5 meters (16 feet) tall. Its leaves are alternate, petiolate, oblong, yellowish-green, very leathery, with toothed edges, and measure approximately 3–6 cm long. The unisexual flowers are white and star-shaped; they grow either solitary or clustered in axillary inflorescences. The calyx consists of 5 sepals, while the corolla is made of 5 petals. Male flowers have 15 to 20 stamens. The fruit is a pentamerous star-shaped capsule, around 2–3 cm in diameter, and its seeds are winged. This species produces very hard wood, which is used to make tools. In traditional medicine, it is used as an emetic and a laxative.
