''Heliotropium arboreum'' is a species of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...
in the
borage
Borage ( or ; ''Borago officinalis''), also known as starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region, and has naturalized in many other locales.
It grows satisfactorily in gard ...
family,
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees and herbs in 146, to 156 genera with a worldwide distribution.
The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single family of the orde ...
. It is native to tropical Asia including southern China,
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
, northern Australia, and most of the
atoll
An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can ...
s and high islands of
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...
and
Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
. Common names include velvetleaf soldierbush, tree heliotrope, veloutier, and octopus bush. It is a
shrub or small
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
typical of
littoral zone
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal ...
s reaching a height of , with a spread of about .
Taxonomy
Originally published as ''Tournefortia argentea'', it was transferred to ''Argusia argentea'', and remained under that name until recently. It was subsequently restored to the genus ''
Tournefortia
''Tournefortia'', commonly known as soldierbush, is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae.
It was first published under the name ''Pittonia'' by Charles Plumier in 1703, in honour of Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. Later ...
'' before being transferred into the genus ''
Heliotropium
''Heliotropium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the heliotrope family, Heliotropiaceae. There are around 325 species in this almost cosmopolitan genus, which are commonly known as heliotropes (sg. ). It is highly toxic for dogs and cats.
...
'' under a new name in 2003.
Uses

Historically in the
Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives,, ) and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about from the A ...
the leaves were often used as
famine food
A famine food or poverty food is any inexpensive or readily available food used to nourish people in times of hunger and starvation, whether caused by extreme poverty, such as during economic depression or war, or by natural disasters such as ...
.
Wood
The wood of ''H. arboreum'' is commonly used to make handicrafts, tools, and, in Polynesia, frames for swim
goggles
Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...
. Due to its availability, ''H. arboreum'' is used as
firewood
Firewood is any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form, compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellets or chips. Firewood c ...
, and has become rare in some areas as a result.
Medicinal
Octopus bush is used in many Pacific islands as a traditional medicine to treat
ciguatera fish poisoning
Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), also known simply as ciguatera, is a foodborne illness caused by eating reef fish whose flesh is contaminated with certain toxins. Such individual fish are said to be ciguatoxic. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomi ...
, which is caused by powerful
ciguatoxin
300px, Chemical structure of the ciguatoxin CTX1B
Ciguatoxins are a class of toxic polycyclic polyethers found in fish that cause ciguatera.
There are several different chemicals in this class. "CTX" is often used as an abbreviation.
* - C ...
s produced by microscopic ''
Gambierdiscus
''Gambierdiscus'' is a genus of marine dinoflagellates that produce ciguatoxins, a type of toxin that causes the foodborne illness known as ciguatera. They are usually epiphytic on macroalgae growing on coral reefs.
Morphology
''Gambierdiscu ...
''
algae
Algae ( , ; : alga ) are any of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms. The name is an informal term for a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from ...
. Scientists from the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and the Louis Malarde Institute in French Polynesia and Pasteur Institute in New Caledonia are researching the plant chemistry and believe that senescent leaves contain
rosmarinic acid
Rosmarinic acid, named after rosemary (''Salvia rosmarinus'' Linn.), is a polyphenol constituent of many culinary herbs, including rosemary (''Salvia rosmarinus'' L.), perilla (''Perilla frutescens'' L.), sage (''Salvia officinalis'' L.), mint ...
and derivatives, which are known for its
antiviral
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...
,
antibacterial
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...
,
antioxidant
Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricants ...
, and
anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as ...
properties.
The researchers think that rosmarinic acid removes the ciguatoxins from their sites of action, as well as being an anti-inflammatory agent.
References
External links
*
Plants of Midway Atoll
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2065214
arboreum
Australasian realm flora
Indomalayan realm flora
Oceanian realm flora
Flora of the Western Indian Ocean
Flora of Malesia
Flora of the Pacific
Flora of Vietnam
Trees of Australia
Flora of India (region)
Flora of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Flora of Christmas Island
Flora of the Coral Sea Islands Territory
Flora of the Maldives
Flora of the Northern Territory
Flora of Queensland
Flora of the Tubuai Islands
Lamiales of Australia
Eudicots of Western Australia
Least concern plants
Least concern flora of Oceania
Least concern biota of Asia
Least concern flora of Australia
Least concern biota of Queensland
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Leaf vegetables