Estimation of out-crossing rate in a natural breeding population of Warburgia ugandensis using AFLP marker

Abstract

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 80%
of the local communities in sub-Saharan Africa rely on
traditional medicines while global trend in the use of
herbal medicine has also been on rise (Lange, 2002).
The tropical tree, Warburgia ugandensis Sprague is one
of such highly valued species within the traditional health
systems of the communities where it naturally occurs
(Beentje, 1994; Kokwaro, 1976). The curative efficacy of
the species extracts is ascribed to its antibacterial and
antifungal medicinal properties (Haraguchi, 1998;
Mashimbye et al., 1999; Olila et al., 2001). W.
ugandensis has a great potential for commercial market
development. Already extracts from a species in the
same genus, W. salutaris, are being processed comer-
*Corresponding author. E-mail: a.muchugi@cgiar.org. Tel: +254
733946793. Fax: +254 7224001.
cially and marketed at highly competitive prices in South
Africa (Botha et al., 2004). The plant material used in
herbal remedies is nearly exclusively harvested from the
wild and this threatens the species survival. Planting of
the species on farms is therefore being encouraged to
sustain the herbal production as well as for conservation
purposes. To develop sustainable management strategies for conservation and utilization of the species, there
is need for detailed understanding of its reproductive
biology.