Common Name:

General Information

Lunasia amara is an evergreen, sparsely-branched shrub or small tree that can grow up to 12 metres tall[].
A well known native medicine of the Philippines and Indonesia, the plant is commonly harvested from the wild and is sold in local markets. It is occasionally planted for medicinal use[].

Known Hazards

Sometimes mention is made of the use of the plant in making arrow poison[].

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Philippines, to New Guinea and northeast Australia

Habitat

Found in well-drained rain forest, moist to rather dry thickets, gallery forest and secondary growth; at elevations from sea-level up to 900 metres[]. N understory plant in undisturbed gallery rain forest in north Australia[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the wild on soils ranging from ultramafic to limestone, preferring well-drained conditions[].
Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is mentioned as a remedy for snakebites and stomach problems[].
A decoction of the bark and leaves is rubbed on swollen limbs and is also used as a treatment for skin diseases[]. Sap from the bark is used as eyedrops to treat inflamed or irritated eyes[].

Bark and leaves or seeds are taken as a treatment for digestive disorders[, ].


Fresh leaves of Lunasia amara yield 0.1 - 0.15% of an essential oil which is almost entirely sesquiterpenoid in nature. The principal sesquiterpenes are 'GAMMA'-elemene (0.7 - 19%), germacrene-D (18 - 51%) and bicyclogermacrene (7 - 26%). There are lesser amounts of bicycloelemene (1 - 2%), 'BETA'-bourbonene (0.7 - 3%), 'BETA'-elemene (4 - 9%), 'ALFA'-farnesene (1 - 3%) and 'DELTA'-cadinene (3 - 5%)[].
Some 13 alkaloids have been identified from several parts of the plant. Of these, lunacrine (which is the principle alkaloid found in the leaves) and lunasin (a related quaternary furoquinoline) both show a distinct action on muscles, evidenced by a continually increasing tone and a rapid diminution of the power of response of the muscle to stimulation. This action on muscular tone is seen not only upon isolated voluntary and smooth muscles but also upon the blood vessel walls, where a distinct contraction occurs, and upon the heart where a distinct diminution in the contractions was observed. The lethal effect of both alkaloids is due to stoppage of respiration simultaneously with that of the circulation[].
Stem bark material of this species has shown activity against tumour cell cultures[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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