Acokanthera schimperi, arrow poison tree, belonging to the familyApocynaceae, is a small tree native to eastern and central Africa as well as to Yemen.
The bark, wood and roots of Acokanthera schimperi are used as an important ingredient of arrow poison in Africa. All plant parts contain acovenoside A and ouabaïne, which are cardiotonicglycosides. Its fruit is edible, and is eaten as a famine food. When ripe they are sweet but also slightly bitter. Unripe fruits have caused accidental poisoning as they are highly toxic.[3]
The maned rat spreads the plant's poison on its fur and becomes poisonous.[4]
It is also used in traditional African medicine.[5] In Ethiopia, for example, Acokanthera schimperi leaves have been traditionally used for jaundice.[6]
^illustration from Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen 1897
^"The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
^Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors), 2008. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 11(1). Medicinal plants 1. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen, Netherlands / Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, Netherlands / CTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. 791 pp.
^Morelle, Rebecca (2011-08-03). "African crested rat uses poison trick to foil predators". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
^Gebre-Mariam, T; Neubert, R; Schmidt, P. C.; Wutzler, P; Schmidtke, M (2006). "Antiviral activities of some Ethiopian medicinal plants used for the treatment of dermatological disorders". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 104 (1–2): 182–7. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2005.08.071. PMID 16233967.
^Tewari, Devesh; Mocan, Andrei; Parvanov, Emil D; Sah, Archana N; Nabavi, Seyed M; Huminiecki, Lukasz; Ma, Zheng Feei; Lee, Yeong Yeh; Horbańczuk, Jarosław O; Atanasov, Atanas G (2017). "Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice: Part I". Frontiers in Pharmacology. 8: 518. doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00518. PMC5559545. PMID 28860989.
acokanthera, schimperi, arrow, poison, tree, belonging, family, apocynaceae, small, tree, native, eastern, central, africa, well, yemen, scientific, classificationkingdom, plantaeclade, tracheophytesclade, angiospermsclade, eudicotsclade, asteridsorder, gentia. Acokanthera schimperi arrow poison tree belonging to the family Apocynaceae is a small tree native to eastern and central Africa as well as to Yemen Acokanthera schimperiAcokanthera schimperi 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder GentianalesFamily ApocynaceaeGenus AcokantheraSpecies A schimperiBinomial nameAcokanthera schimperi A DC Schweinf Synonyms 2 Acokanthera abyssinica K Schum nom illeg Acokanthera deflersii Schweinf ex Lewin Acokanthera friesiorum Markgr Acokanthera ouabaio Cathelineau ex Lewin Acokanthera schimperi A DC Benth amp Hook f Arduina schimperi A DC Baill Carissa deflersii Schweinf ex Lewin Pichon Carissa friesiorum Markgr Cufod Carissa inepta Perrot amp Vogt Carissa schimperi A DC Contents 1 Uses 2 Geographic distribution 3 References 4 External linksUses EditThe bark wood and roots of Acokanthera schimperi are used as an important ingredient of arrow poison in Africa All plant parts contain acovenoside A and ouabaine which are cardiotonic glycosides Its fruit is edible and is eaten as a famine food When ripe they are sweet but also slightly bitter Unripe fruits have caused accidental poisoning as they are highly toxic 3 The maned rat spreads the plant s poison on its fur and becomes poisonous 4 It is also used in traditional African medicine 5 In Ethiopia for example Acokanthera schimperi leaves have been traditionally used for jaundice 6 Geographic distribution EditAcokanthera schimperi is native to Eritrea Ethiopia Somalia Somaliland Kenya Uganda Tanzania Rwanda and DR Congo It is the only species in the genus that also occurs outside Africa in southern Yemen 7 References Edit illustration from Franz Eugen Kohler Kohler s Medizinal Pflanzen 1897 The Plant List A Working List of All Plant Species Schmelzer G H amp Gurib Fakim A Editors 2008 Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 11 1 Medicinal plants 1 PROTA Foundation Wageningen Netherlands Backhuys Publishers Leiden Netherlands CTA Wageningen Netherlands 791 pp Morelle Rebecca 2011 08 03 African crested rat uses poison trick to foil predators BBC News Retrieved 2017 08 07 Gebre Mariam T Neubert R Schmidt P C Wutzler P Schmidtke M 2006 Antiviral activities of some Ethiopian medicinal plants used for the treatment of dermatological disorders Journal of Ethnopharmacology 104 1 2 182 7 doi 10 1016 j jep 2005 08 071 PMID 16233967 Tewari Devesh Mocan Andrei Parvanov Emil D Sah Archana N Nabavi Seyed M Huminiecki Lukasz Ma Zheng Feei Lee Yeong Yeh Horbanczuk Jaroslaw O Atanasov Atanas G 2017 Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice Part I Frontiers in Pharmacology 8 518 doi 10 3389 fphar 2017 00518 PMC 5559545 PMID 28860989 Acokanthera schimperi www ville ge ch Retrieved 2017 08 07 External links EditAcokanthera schimperi information from NPGS GRIN Acokanthera schimperi information from PROTA4U Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acokanthera schimperi amp oldid 1125534562, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
