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Useful Tropical Plants

Lunasia amara

Blanco

Rutaceae

+ Synonyms

Lunasia quercifolia lanceolata C.T.White

Common Name:

Lunasia amara
Inflorescence
Photograph by: Iska Gushilman
Creative Commons License
Lunasia amara Lunasia amara Lunasia amara Lunasia amara Lunasia amara

General Information

Lunasia amara is an evergreen, sparsely-branched shrub or small tree that can grow up to 12 metres tall[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
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[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Known Hazards

Sometimes mention is made of the use of the plant in making arrow poison[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

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[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. N understory plant in undisturbed gallery rain forest in north Australia[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height8.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details


Found in the wild on soils ranging from ultramafic to limestone, preferring well-drained conditions[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is mentioned as a remedy for snakebites and stomach problems[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
A decoction of the bark and leaves is rubbed on swollen limbs and is also used as a treatment for skin diseases[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Sap from the bark is used as eyedrops to treat inflamed or irritated eyes[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Bark and leaves or seeds are taken as a treatment for digestive disorders[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
345
Title
Minor Products of Philippine Forests
Publication
 
Author
Brown. W. H.
Publisher
Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
Year
1920
ISBN
 
Description
A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
].


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%)[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
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[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Stem bark material of this species has shown activity against tumour cell cultures[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Lunasia+amara>

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