Strychnos Potatorum 5

''Strychnos'' is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the family Loganiaceae (sometimes Strychnaceae). The genus includes about 100 accepted species of trees and lianas, and more than 200 that are as yet unresolved. The genus is widely distributed around the world's tropics and is noted for the presence of poisonous indole alkaloids in the roots, stems and leaves of various species. Among these alkaloids are the well-known and virulent poisons strychnine and curare.

Etymology

The name ''strychnos'' was applied by Pliny the Elder in his '' Natural History'' to ''Solanum nigrum''. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek στρύχνον (''strúkhnon'') – "acrid", "bitter". The meaning of the word ''strychnos'' was not fixed in Ancient Greece, where it could designate a variety of different plants having in common the property of toxicity.

Distribution

The genus has a pantropical distribution.

Taxonomy

The genus is divided into 12 sections, though it is conceded that the sections do not reflect evolution of the genus, and all sections except ''Spinosae'' are polyphyletic:

* ''Strychnos'' (53 species)
* ''Rouhamon'' (21 species)
* ''Breviflorae'' (32 species)
* ''Penicillatae'' (17 species)
* ''Aculeatae'' (1 species)
* ''Spinosae'' (4 species)
* ''Brevitubae'' (18 species)
* ''Lanigerae'' (32 species
* ''Phaeotrichae'' (1 species)
* ''Densiflorae'' (8 species)
* ''Dolichantae'' (9 species)
* ''Schyphostrychnos'' (1 species)

Selected species

*'' Strychnos benthami'' C.B. Clarke
*''Strychnos camptoneura'' Gilg & Busse
*''Strychnos chromatoxylon'' Leeuwenb.
*'' Strychnos elaeocarpa'' Gilg ex Leeuwenb.
*''Strychnos icaja'' Baill.
*''Strychnos ignatii'' P.J. Bergius
*''Strychnos madagascariensis'' Poir.
*''Strychnos mellodora'' S. Moore
*''Strychnos millepunctata'' Leeuwenb.
*''Strychnos nux-blanda'' - (Assam to Southeast Asia)
*'' Strychnos nux-vomica'' L.
*''Strychnos potatorum'' L.f.
*''Strychnos psilosperma'' F.Muell.
*''Strychnos pungens'' Soler.
*''Strychnos spinosa'' Lam.
*'' Strychnos staudtii'' Gilg
*''Strychnos tetragona'' A.W.Hill
*'' Strychnos toxifera'' R.H.Schomb. ex Lindl.
*''Strychnos usambarensis'' Gilg ex Engl.

* The strychnine tree, ''Strychnos nux-vomica'', native to tropical Asia, is the source of the poison strychnine.
* ''Strychnos tonga'', native to Tonga, is a synonym of "'Strychnos spinosa''.
* ''Strychnos ignatii'' ("St. Ignatius bean"), is a closely related Asian shrub/tree.
* The species '' Strychnos toxifera'', a principal plant source of the arrow poison curare.
* Three trees from Southern Africa, commonly known as "monkey oranges", are drought-tolerant and produce popular edible fruits: the corky-barked monkey orange or suurklapper, ''Strychnos cocculoides'', the Natal orange or green or spiny monkey orange, ''Strychnos spinosa'', and the black or spiny-leaved monkey orange ''Strychnos pungens''.
* The ripe seeds of ''Strychnos potatorum'', known as Therran or Nirmal, can be ground and used as a coagulant to purify water; or they may be rubbed against the inside walls of the earthenware water containers. Mrs Grieve's Herbal of 1931 also mentions traditional water purification uses of an Indian species called ''Strychnos pseudo'' (not a valid botanical name).
*Two very well preserved fossilised corollas with stamens and styles from flowers of a plant that has been named ''Strychnos electri'' (the Latin name of amber is ''electrum''), believed to be a vine, were discovered in amber from the Dominican Republic. The amber is from tropical tree ''Hymenaea protera'', formerly abundant but now extinct, which formed part of the forest canopy. The age of the amber is believed to be between 15 and 45 million years, from the mid- Tertiary period. This demonstrates an early date for these plants.New species of ancient tropical flower found in amber from the Dominican Republic
Rachel Sullivan, ABC News Online, 16 February 2016, Article number 16005

Gallery

File:Strychnos madagascariensis (4337703118).jpg, ''Strychnos madagascariensis''
File:Strychnos nux-vomica flowers 04.JPG, '' Strychnos nux-vomica'' flowers
File:Strychnos potatorum 05.jpg, ''Strychnos potatorum''
File:Strychnos psilosperma foliage and fruit.jpg, ''Strychnos psilosperma''
File:Strychnos pungens, blomme, b, Seringveld.jpg, ''Strychnos pungens'' flowers
File:Strychnos pungens, vrug, Little Eden.jpg, ''Strychnos pungens'' detached fruit
File:Strychnos spinosa tree.jpg, ''Strychnos spinosa'' tree in fruit
File:Strychnos usambarensis00.jpg, ''Strychnos usambarensis'' in flower
File:Strychnos usambarensis02.jpg, ''Strychnos usambarensis'' in fruit

See also

* List of Southern African indigenous trees and woody lianes

References

External links

*

{{Taxonbar, from=Q904222

Gentianales genera
Pantropical flora
Poisonous plants