Abuta
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 Abuta selloana: Illustrations A-F from A. Engler, Das Pflanzenreich 46
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Abuta is a genus in the flowering plant family Menispermaceae, of about 32 species, native to tropical Central and South America.
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[edit] Description
It consists in dioecious climbers or rarely erect trees or shrubs (Abuta concolor) with simple leaves. Flowers in composed panicles. Male flowers: sepals 6, in 2 whorls, petals absent, stamens 6, connate or free, introrse, anthers with a longitudinal or transverse dehiscence. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male, staminodes 6, carpels 3, drupes ovoid, endocarp woody, condyle septiform, endosperm ruminate, embryo curved, cotyledons appressed. it is in the tropical rain forest.
[edit] Taxonomy
Abuta is usually classified in the tribe Anomospermeae Miers, together with Anomospermum Miers.
[edit] Synonymy
The genera Anelasma Miers and Batschia Thunb. have been brought into synonymy with Abuta.
[edit] Uses
Abuta is one of the components of the arrow poison curare of some indigenous tribes of South America (especially Abuta imene from Colombia). Roots of Abuta rufescens are used as medicinal in diseases of the urogenital tract, but it is dangerous.[1]
The dichloromethane extracts of Abuta grandifolia and Minthostachys setosa (Labiatae) demonstrated high larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, the most active being the dichloromethane extract of A. grandifolia. [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Mabberley, D.J. (1997). The plant-book, 2nd edition. ISBN 0-521-41421-0.
- ^ Ciccia G., Coussio, J. & E. Mongelli (2000). "Insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae of some medicinal South American plants". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 72 (1): 185–189. doi:.
[edit] Further reading
- (Latin) and (German) Diels, L. (1910).Menispermaceae in: A.Engler (ed.), Das Pflanzenreich IV.94 (Fasc. 46). Engelmann, Leipzig (Germany). [monographic revision of the genus]
- Barneby, R. C. & B. A. Krukoff (1971):Supplementary Notes on American Menispermaceae VIII. A Generic Survey of the American Triclisieae and Anomospermeae.Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 22(2):30-52. [taxonomic partial revision]
- Kessler, P.J.A. in Kubitzki, K.(Editor) (1993): The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Vol.2: K. Kubitzki, J. G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich. Springer-Verlag Berlin ISBN 3-540-55509-9
