Common Name: Bitterwood

General Information

Quassia amara is a very attractive small evergreen shrub that is often cultivated in the tropics as an ornamental[].
The plant is packed with a range of powerful medically active phytochemicals for which it is harvested from the wild and occasionally also grown[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Guiana, northern Brazil and Venezuela.

Habitat

An understorey plant in rainforests and humid sites[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Hummingbirds
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant for the humid tropics[].
Prefers a fertile, moist but well-drained soil in a partially shaded position[, ].

Edible Uses

The bitter principle found in the bark and wood is used as the basis of Angostura Bitters, which is used as a flavouring in gin-based drinks[]. It is also used as a substitute for hops when brewing beer[].

Medicinal

All parts of the plant contain a bitter principle called quassimarin[]. This has a range of medical properties including antileukaemic, antitumor, astringent, digestive, febrifuge, laxative, tonic and vermifuge[]. Quassimarin has been shown to stimulate the secretion of gastric juices, increase the appetite and aid digestion[]. It has been used successfully in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and is also used in the treatment of malaria and fevers[, ].

All parts of the plant can be used on their own or in combination to restore the appetite, stimulate digestion and combat fevers, including malaria[].

A tea made from the infused leaves is used to bathe the skin of measles patients[]. It is also used as a mouthwash after tooth extractions[].

A decoction of the bark is used as a blood purifier and to treat malaria, diarrhoea and dysentery[].
A decoction of the inner bark is used to treat colds[348
The stem and bark are used in remedies for treating diseases of the spleen, liver (cirrhosis), and urinary tract[]. The bark is used for treating the weak eyes of alcoholics and, macerated in rum, as a vermifuge[]. Combined with the macerated stem of Tinospora crispa in rum, cognac or absinthe, it is used to make a beverage for treating diabetes and albuminuria[].

A decoction of the wood is used in lotions as a wash for persistent venereal ulcers[].

A decoction of the bark and leaves is used as a wash to rid the skin of external parasites such as agouti lice and as a treatment for measles and smallpox[].

Stem-bark contains the insecticidal compounds neoquassine and quassine[].
Sap shows activity against cells derived from carcinoma of human nasopharynx[].
Plant extracts contain the antileukemic compounds quassimarin and similikalactone[].

Other Uses

All parts of the plant, but especially the bark and young stems, can be used as an insecticide[].
Crushed leaves, placed on body, reputedly act as a mosquito repellent[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings of half-ripe wood

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