Crouch, T.E., & Crouch, N.R. 2001 Insect infestations on leaves of the ethnomedicinal Pepper-bark tree Warburgia salutaris (Canellaceae).. Durban Museum Novitates 26: 1-5.
Notes: The recent finding of drimane sesquiterpenoid lactones in the leaves of W. salutaris in ratios similar to that in bark provides a rational basis for their substitution in ethnomedicine or phyto-pharmaceuticals. Such replacement will permit more sustainable harvesting of W. saluraris trees, and likely improve returns on its commercial cultivation. However, small or plantation-scale cultivation to supply traditional or developing markets is dependent on the provision of products acceptable to consumers and manufacturers. It is against this background that the first reports of defoliation by Imbrasia wahlbergi (Wahlberg's emperor moth) and unsightly leaf infestations of the coccids Lichtensia carissae (tortoise scale) and Parasaissetia nigra (granadilla soft scale) are documented. The general bioactivity and pest resistance of this plant taxon is also reviewed.