Kosso Tree (Hagenia abyssinica)

• Characteristics: Tree up to 20m tall with brownish bark peeling in strips. Young branches are pubescent with stiff hairs 3-4mm long. Flowers reddish-orange to white.
  
• Distribution: Montane forest and grassland, 2450-3250m. Hagenia abyssinica was once the dominant tree in the upper montane forest belt in Ethipia, but now only scattered trees remain in most areas. Although they are protected by law, kosso trees are rare in Ethiopia. They are illegally harvested for their high quality wood and cleared from the land to allow for agricultural expansion.
• Locally referred to as kosso, it is known for its medicinal purposes including its ability to expel 'kosso,' the Amharic name for tapeworm.

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