''Schumanniophyton'' is a genus of three species of small tree native to west Africa and belonging to the family

Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

. It contains the following species and varieties: * '' Schumanniophyton hirsutum'' (Hiern) R.D.Good, native from W. Central Tropical Africa to N. Angola. * '' Schumanniophyton magnificum'' ( K.Schum.) Harms Forest shrub or small tree, 12–16 ft. high, having soft-wooded stems bearing very large leaves. Flowers white or yellow, in a dense cluster subtended by broad bracts and borne at ends of shoots opposite a single leaf and just above a pair of leaves. Native from Nigeria to N. Angola. * '' Schumanniophyton magnificum'' var. ''klaineanum'' (Perre ex A.Chev.) N.Hallé, native to

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

. * '' Schumanniophyton magnificum'' var. ''trimerum'' (R.D.Good) N.Hallé, native to W. Central Tropical Africa. * '' Schumanniophyton problematicum'', (A.Chev.) Aubrev. Forest tree 20–40 ft. high, having large deciduous leaves grouped in threes at the ends of the branches. Flowers yellowish-white, fragrant. Native from Liberia to Ghana.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by

Hermann Harms Hermann August Theodor Harms (16 July 1870 – 27 November 1942) was a German taxonomist and botanist. Harms was born in Berlin. He worked as a botanist at the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Botanical Museum in Berlin. ...

and published in '' Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien'' by

Adolf Engler Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler (25 March 1844 – 10 October 1930) was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, such as ''Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien'' (''The Natural Plant Families''), edited with K ...

and

Karl Anton Eugen Prantl Karl Anton Eugen Prantl (10 September 1849 – 24 February 1893), also known as Carl Anton Eugen Prantl, was a German botanist. Prantl was born in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, and studied in Munich. In 1870, he graduated with the dissertation ''D ...

1: 313 in the year 1897. It is named in honour of German botanist

Karl Moritz Schumann Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. ...

(17 June 1851 in

Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...

– 22 March 1904 in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

) who served as curator of the Botanisches Museum in

Berlin-Dahlem Dahlem ( or ) is a locality of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough in southwestern Berlin. Until Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was a part of the former borough of Zehlendorf. It is located between the mansion settlements of Grunewald and ...

from 1880 until 1894 and also as the first chairman of the ''Deutsche Kakteen-Gesellschaft'' (German

Cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

Society) which he founded on November 6, 1892.

Uses in traditional medicine

''S. magnificum'': The bark

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal medicine systems. D ...

is used as an

enema An enema, also known as a clyster, is the rectal administration of a fluid by injection into the Large intestine, lower bowel via the anus.Cullingworth, ''A Manual of Nursing, Medical and Surgical'':155 The word ''enema'' can also refer to the ...

to treat

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...

and also as a lotion after circumcision having either

antiseptic An antiseptic ( and ) is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue to reduce the possibility of sepsis, infection, or putrefaction. Antiseptics are generally distinguished from ''antibiotics'' by the latter's abil ...

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

properties. The juice of the fresh leaves and extracts prepared from the stem are used in the treatment of

snakebite A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may ...

.''Routledge Handbook of African Medicinal Plants'', Iwu, Maurice M., second edition, pub. CRC Press (Taylor and Francis group) 2014, https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.1201/b16292-4#sec3_152 Retrieved at 11.25 a.m.on 12/10/20

Possible entheogen

In a paper on the genus ''

Mostuea ''Mostuea'' is one of only three genera of flowering plants belonging to the small family Gelsemiaceae (the other two being '' Gelsemium'' and ''Pteleocarpa''). ''Mostuea'' and ''Gelsemium'' were formerly placed in the family Loganiaceae, while ...

'' (

Gelsemiaceae Gelsemiaceae is a family of flowering plants, belonging to the Order (biology), order Gentianales. The family contains only three genera: ''Gelsemium'', ''Mostuea'' and ''Pteleocarpa''. ''Gelsemium'' has three species, one native to Southeast Asi ...

) French botanist, taxonomist and explorer

Auguste Chevalier Auguste Jean Baptiste Chevalier (June 1873, in Domfront – June 1956, in Paris) was a French botanist, taxonomist, and explorer of tropical Africa, especially of French colonial empire in Africa that included Côte d'Ivoire. He also explored an ...

(1873–1956) quotes the

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

and renowned authority on Gabonese language and culture, Father André Raponda-Walker (1871–1968) as placing an unnamed

ese species of ''Schumanniophyton'' in the same class of sleep-dispelling, aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic plants as ''

Tabernanthe iboga ''Tabernanthe'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1888. It is native to tropical central Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At a ...

'' (

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

) and '' Mostuea batesii'' (syn. ''M. stimulans''). The passage runs as follows:

"This root" hat of Mostuea batesii(writes Father Walker) "is considered to possess an action comparable to those of
Tabernanthe iboga ''Tabernanthe'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1888. It is native to tropical central Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At a ...
and Schumanniophyton. It is a potent aphrodisiac and also a stimulant. During nights set aside for dancing, the Blacks chew the roots, whole or grated, to drive away sleep. But the majority consume them during their dances - either on their own or mixed with Iboga - for the sexual excitement which they cause. Excessive use of this drug can lead to cerebral troubles". ranslated from the French of Auguste ChevalierChevalier, A., 1947, Les Mostuea africains et leurs propriétés stimulantes, ''Revue de Botanique Appliqué'' 27, pps. 104-109.

The aqueous extract of Schumanniophyton magnificum demonstrated aphrodisiac effects in an in vivo study. Specifically, the extract significantly increased mount, ejaculation, and intromission frequencies in male rats compared to a control group. It also significantly doubled serum testosterone levels (2.15 ± 0.70 ng/ml). UHPLC/MS analysis of the extract identified seven major compounds, including Schumanniofioside A, Noreugenin, and Rohitukine, which possess antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Additionally, the extract significantly increased penile nitric oxide levels (P < 0.05). These effects were comparable to those observed with sildenafil citrate, suggesting S. magnificum extract may be a potential alternative for managing erectile dysfunction. This study provides the first scientific investigation into the folkloric use of S. magnificum as an aphrodisiac by the "Baka" Pygmies of Cameroon.

Chemistry

Analyses of ''Schumanniophyton magnificum'' have yielded a variety of

chromone Chromone (or 1,4-benzopyrone) is a derivative of benzopyran with a substituted keto group on the pyran ring. It is an isomer of coumarin. Derivatives of chromone are collectively known as ''chromones''. Most, though not all, chromones are also ...

alkaloids, including schummaniophytine, isoschummaniophytine, N-methyl schummaniophytine, schumaginine, and schumannificine, as well as the related bases

trigonelline Trigonelline is an alkaloid with chemical formula . It is a zwitterion formed by the methylation of the nitrogen atom of niacin (vitamin B3). Trigonelline is a product of niacin metabolism that is excreted in the urine of mammals. Trigonelline oc ...

, rohitukine, and the chromone noreugenin. The

n-butanol 1-Butanol, also known as butan-1-ol or ''n''-butanol, is a Alcohol (chemistry), primary alcohol with the chemical formula C4H9OH and a linear structure. Isomers of 1-butanol are isobutanol, butan-2-ol and tert-butanol, ''tert''-butanol. The unmodi ...

extract of the root bark of the Cameroonian species has also been shown to contain new chromone glycosides and schummaniofioside A and B.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1328264 Rubiaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot