Strychnos wallichiana
Steud. ex A.DC.
Loganiaceae
Strychnos bourdillonii Brandis
Strychnos cinnamomifolia Thwaites
Strychnos cirrhosa Stokes
Strychnos gauthierana Pierre ex Dop
Strychnos pierriana A.W.Hill
Strychnos rheedei C.B.Clarke
Strychnos tubiflora A.W.Hill
Common Name:
General Information
Strychnos wallichiana is a robust climbing shrub with stems up to 20 metres long. The stems climb into the surrounding vegetation, attaching themselves by means of tendrils and hooks[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
785- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Duong
- Publisher
- Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-9837303-1-2
- Description
- Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
Known Hazards
Various parts of Strychnos plants, especially the seeds and bark, contain toxic alkaloids such as strychnine and brucine. The fleshy pulp of the ripe fruits, however, is often edible[
500- Title
- Flora of Somalia
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thulin M. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Kew Publishing, London.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.
].
The plant is poisonous[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Botanical References
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
E. Asia - southern China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia.
Habitat
Tropical evergreen forests, mixed woodlands on limestone; at elevations from 200 - 600 metres[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Climber |
| Height | 15.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
Although toxic, the plant is taken internally as well as externally in traditional medicine. However, internal use needs to be very carefully monitored by skilled practitioners[
785- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Duong
- Publisher
- Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-9837303-1-2
- Description
- Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
The stem-bark and branch-bark are effective in treating rheumatism, ostealgia, paralytic cramp of the extremities, lumbago, sciatica, colic and diarrhoea.[
283- Title
- Medicinal Plants in Vietnam
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu
- Publisher
- World Health Organisation
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- 92 9061 101 4
- Description
- An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.
].
The bark is used internally as an aphrodisiac; it is also said to be very efficacious in the treatment of leprosy and is used as an antidote for rabies[
784- Title
- Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- HMSO; London
- Year
- 1917
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A botanical publication by Kew Gardens. It contains information on various plants, including a rather dated treatment of the genus Strychnos in Asia.
,
785- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Duong
- Publisher
- Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-9837303-1-2
- Description
- Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
Used externally, the powdered bark is dampened with alcohol and applied to the bites of dogs and also to various skin infections including scabies, leprosy and certain persistent dermatoses[283. 785].
The bark is prepared by ridding it of its outer layer, then soaking it for 3 days in rice-rinse water, before drying it for storage[
785- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Duong
- Publisher
- Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-9837303-1-2
- Description
- Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
(These reports on the use of the bark are for Strychnos gauthierana, which is placed here as a synonym of Strychnos wallichiana. However, some reports say that Strychnos guatheriana should be placed as a synonym of Strychnos malaccensis[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
785- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Duong
- Publisher
- Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-9837303-1-2
- Description
- Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
,
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
The roots are antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge. They are used in the treatment of neurological affections, epilepsy, elephantiasis, ulcers, fevers, rheumatism and muscular pains[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
2022- Title
- Indian Medicinal Plants; An Illustrated Dictionary
- Publication
-
- Author
- Khare C.P. (Ed.)
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 978-0-387-70637-5
- Description
-
].
The plant contains the alkaloids brucine and strychnine[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
]. The bark contains 2.37 - 2.43% strychnine and 2.81% brucine[
785- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nguyen Van Duong
- Publisher
- Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-9837303-1-2
- Description
- Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
