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Useful Tropical Plants

Unonopsis veneficiorum

(Mart.) R.E.Fr.

Annonaceae

+ Synonyms

Guatteria veneficiorum Mart.

Common Name: Bara Caspi

Unonopsis veneficiorum
Flowering stem
Photograph by: A. Gentry
Creative Commons License

General Information

Unonopsis veneficiorum is a shrub or a tree that usually grows around 1 - 7 metres tall, exceptionally to 15 metres. The trunk can be around 2 - 12cm in diameter[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
,
2111
Title
Revision of the Neotropical Genera Bocageopsis, Onychopetalum and Unonopsis (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 52: 413-554, 2007
Author
Maas P.J.M. et al
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651907X608909
Publisher
 
Year
2007
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Unonopsis veneficiorum is widespread and known from many collections. There are not thought to be serious threats affecting its survival. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[
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 plant contains alkaloids, believed to be bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids. It has been used as part of a contraceptive formula, whilst the root and bark of the lower stem are used either as the basis of, or as an admixture to, the arrow poison curare[
630
Title
Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 28
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An article on the Ethnopharmacological uses of plants in northwestern S. America, amongst many other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
762
Title
Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 26
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
Year
1978
ISBN
 
Description
A series of botanical leaflets. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The fruit is used as a poison in blowgun darts[
1783
Title
Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
Publication
 
Author
de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
Publisher
Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
Year
2008
ISBN
978-9978-77-135-8
Description
 
].

Botanical References

434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
,
2111
Title
Revision of the Neotropical Genera Bocageopsis, Onychopetalum and Unonopsis (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 52: 413-554, 2007
Author
Maas P.J.M. et al
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651907X608909
Publisher
 
Year
2007
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia.

Habitat

An understorey plant in dense rain forest at low elevations[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Mainly in non-inundated forests but occasionally in periodically inundated forests, growing on clayey to lateritic soils; at elevations up to 450 metres[
2111
Title
Revision of the Neotropical Genera Bocageopsis, Onychopetalum and Unonopsis (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 52: 413-554, 2007
Author
Maas P.J.M. et al
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651907X608909
Publisher
 
Year
2007
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitTree
Height5.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit is edible[
1783
Title
Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
Publication
 
Author
de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
Publisher
Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
Year
2008
ISBN
978-9978-77-135-8
Description
 
].

Medicinal

The plant is said to be an ingredient of a contraceptive formula[
630
Title
Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 28
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An article on the Ethnopharmacological uses of plants in northwestern S. America, amongst many other articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
762
Title
Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 26
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass.
Year
1978
ISBN
 
Description
A series of botanical leaflets. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. This report could be an erroneous identification, and probably refers instead to Anaxagorea macrantha R.E. Fr.[
2111
Title
Revision of the Neotropical Genera Bocageopsis, Onychopetalum and Unonopsis (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 52: 413-554, 2007
Author
Maas P.J.M. et al
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651907X608909
Publisher
 
Year
2007
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The tree (part not specified) has been used in the treatment of senile dementia[
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.
].

Other Uses

The bark is used to make basket straps[
1783
Title
Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
Publication
 
Author
de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
Publisher
Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
Year
2008
ISBN
978-9978-77-135-8
Description
 
].

The wood is used traditionally for making house rafters[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The stem is timber, it is used to make levers and as a stringer or beams in the construction of traditional houses[
1783
Title
Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
Publication
 
Author
de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
Publisher
Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
Year
2008
ISBN
978-9978-77-135-8
Description
 
].

Propagation

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

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