Owing to confusion with the morphologically similar Flueggea virosa, compounded by their overlapping ranges, many reports of Flueggea leucopyrus require confirmation[].

Common Name:

General Information

Flueggea leucopyrus is an erect, thorny shrub or small tree, usually growing around 1.5 - 4 metres tall[].
The plant is a popular herbal remedy, especially in India, where it is harvested from the wild on a large scale for local use and for trade[]. The plant is also used locally as a food.
Flueggea leucopyrus has a widespread distribution, is said to be abundant and to have no major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northeast Africa - Ethiopia, Somalia; Asia - Arabian Peninsular, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Southern China

Habitat

Often a dominant species in dry, deciduous scrub formations or scrub forest[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

In Sri Lanka, the leaves are used as a vegetable in salads or porridge[].

The fruits are consumed by tribal communities in India and Africa[, ].

Medicinal

Flueggea leucopyrus has long been utilised in traditional medicine across its range in the Indian subcontinent. The plant is sweet, cooling, diuretic, aphrodisiac and tonic[]. Contemporary research in animal models has demonstrated that extracts from the plant exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant and antiarthritic properties[].

The leaves have been employed in the treatment of cancer, boils, external ulcers and sores, strangury, seminal weakness. menstrual disorders, burning sensations and general debility[].
Applied externally, the leaves are used to treat boils, cuts, eczema and wounds[]. The juice of the leaves, or the leaves combined with tobacco and made into a paste, are used to destroy worms in sores[]. The leaves act as an antiseptic and the paste is used to extract extraneous materials from bodily tissues without surgery; this paste is also utilised as an alternative to antibiotics to treat myiasis[].

In Sri Lanka, many indigenous medical practitioners prescribe a decoction prepared from the plant for the treatment of a variety of cancers, and it is often taken as a dietary supplement in addition to any anticancer treatments[].
In vitro study has shown that the decoction presents potent cytotoxic activity against specific breast cancer cell phenotypes; the plant has the potential to be exploited further for effective treatment of breast cancer, particularly the Her2 negative phenotypes[].

Other Uses

The leaf and fruit extract has also been used as a reducing agent in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles[].

The wood is pink, close-grained and hard. It is only used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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