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Useful Tropical Plants

Tabernaemontana persicariifolia

Jacq.

Apocynaceae

+ Synonyms

Conopharyngia mauritiana (Poir.) R.E.Vaughan

Conopharyngia persicariifolia (Jacq.) R.E.Vaughan

Oistanthera telfairiana (Wall.) Markgr.

Pagiantha mauritiana (Poir.) Markgr.

Pagiantha persicariifolia (Jacq.) Markgr.

Pandaca mauritiana (Poir.) Markgr. & Boiteau

Pandaca persicariifolia (Jacq.) Markgr. & Boiteau

Tabernaemontana borbonica Lam. ex Cordem.

Tabernaemontana mauritiana Poir.

Tabernaemontana micrantha A.DC.

Tabernaemontana nervosa Desf. ex Poir.

Tabernaemontana parviflora Bojer

Tabernaemontana telfairiana Wall.

Common Name:

Tabernaemontana persicariifolia
Illustration of the leaves and flowers
Photograph by: Jacquin, Nikolaus Joseph, Freiherr von; Icones plantarum rariorum
Public domain

General Information

Tabernaemontana persicariifolia is a shrub or a tree that usually grows up to 5 metres tall, though specimens up to 10 metres have been recorded. The bole can be up to 40cm in diameter[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
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Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
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Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.
The plant is very rare on Réunion but is found in greater numbers on Mauritius, where it still survives in small area of relatively undisturbed dry land forest. It is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

The bark sap and roots are used as fish poison[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Botanical References


Range

Africa - Mauritius, Réunion.

Habitat

Forest and open, rocky localities, at elevations up to 1,200 metres. In Réunion it is found in relatively dry forest at low elevations, in Mauritius in more humid forest at medium to high elevations[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusEndangered
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitTree
Height3.50 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the stem bark and leaves has astringent properties and is taken to treat gonorrhoea and dysentery. It is also taken to expel intestinal worms[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Several indole alkaloids have been isolated from Tabernaemontana persicariifolia. The stem bark and root bark contain mainly the monomeric indole alkaloids dregamine and vobasine, and also some tubotaiwine, which occurs in the leaves as well. Dregamine shows convulsant and respiration-stimulant activities. It also inhibits muscular fatigue in vitro and in vivo. It is used in treatments of muscular and nervous asthenia, respiratory depression and type III poliovirus (HPV-3). Tubotaiwine has local analgesic activity. Vobasine exhibited little activity in general pharmacological screening tests. The bark also contains sterols, triterpenes and saponins[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-03. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Tabernaemontana+persicariifolia>

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