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| '''''Strychnos usambarensis''''' is a shrub or small tree or liane of ], occurring in forest and woodland, mountain ravines and coastal bush, often on rocky slopes and named for the ] of ]. The species is found from ] east to ], from ] east to ] and south to the ] of ]. | '''''Strychnos usambarensis''''' is a shrub or small tree or liane of ], occurring in forest and woodland, mountain ravines and coastal bush, often on rocky slopes and named for the ] of ]. The species is found from ] east to ], from ] east to ] and south to the ] of ]. | ||
| The leaves are opposite, held in a horizontal plane, ovate to elliptic in shape with a characteristic drip-tip, and glossy dark green above. Flowers are small, in axillary clusters, whitish to yellowish-green, |
The leaves are opposite, held in a horizontal plane, ovate to elliptic in shape with a characteristic drip-tip, and glossy dark green above. Flowers are small, in axillary clusters, whitish to yellowish-green, fragrant. Fruits are soft-shelled and small, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, yellow when ripe. | ||
| ''Strychnos usambarensis'' has been thoroughly investigated for its potential drugs and some 60 ] ] have been isolated, and are mostly dimeric terpenoid in structure. Root bark holds tertiary alkaloids and several quaternary alkaloids and some anhydronium bases. Among these are the retuline class alkaloids C-dihydrotoxiferine, C-curarine and C-calebassine and the monomeric C-fluorocurarine, which are also the active principles of calabash curare obtained from South American ''Strychnos'' spp. ''S. usambarensis'' root bark also holds the less active afrocurarine, the monomeric tetracyclic alkaloid akagerine, the non-terpenoid alkaloids ] and melinonine F and the monoquaternary alkaloids malindine and isomalindine, which belong to the group of trinitrogenated alkaloids. Four root alkaloids, the dimeric usambarensines, are of the ] class. | |||
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| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:usambarensis, Strychnos}} | |||
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| {{Uncategorized|date=July 2013}} | |||
Revision as of 10:45, 17 July 2013
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| Strychnos usambarensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Loganiaceae |
| Genus: | Strychnos |
| Species: | S. usambarensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Strychnos usambarensis Gilg ex Engl. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Strychnos micans S.Moore | |
Strychnos usambarensis is a shrub or small tree or liane of Sub-Saharan Africa, occurring in forest and woodland, mountain ravines and coastal bush, often on rocky slopes and named for the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. The species is found from Guinea east to Nigeria, from Congo east to Kenya and south to the Magaliesberg of South Africa.
The leaves are opposite, held in a horizontal plane, ovate to elliptic in shape with a characteristic drip-tip, and glossy dark green above. Flowers are small, in axillary clusters, whitish to yellowish-green, fragrant. Fruits are soft-shelled and small, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, yellow when ripe.
Strychnos usambarensis has been thoroughly investigated for its potential drugs and some 60 indole alkaloids have been isolated, and are mostly dimeric terpenoid in structure. Root bark holds tertiary alkaloids and several quaternary alkaloids and some anhydronium bases. Among these are the retuline class alkaloids C-dihydrotoxiferine, C-curarine and C-calebassine and the monomeric C-fluorocurarine, which are also the active principles of calabash curare obtained from South American Strychnos spp. S. usambarensis root bark also holds the less active afrocurarine, the monomeric tetracyclic alkaloid akagerine, the non-terpenoid alkaloids harmane and melinonine F and the monoquaternary alkaloids malindine and isomalindine, which belong to the group of trinitrogenated alkaloids. Four root alkaloids, the dimeric usambarensines, are of the corynanthine class.