Alchornea glandulosa

Alchornea glandulosa, commonly known as the "palo de sangre," is a versatile medicinal shrub native to tropical regions. Renowned for its diverse therapeutic properties, this plant is frequently utilized in traditional medicine to treat skin ailments, inflammation, and gastrointestinal issues, offering significant pharmacological potential for modern scientific research.

  • Scientific name: Alchornea glandulosa
  • Family: Euphorbiaceae
  • Native range: Southern America

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls under the order Malpighiales and the family Euphorbiaceae. Its specific taxonomic designation is within the genus Alchornea, where it is known as Alchornea glandulosa.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Malpighiales WCVP
Family Euphorbiaceae WCVP
Genus Alchornea WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Alchornea glandulosa, is referred to by various common names depending on the region and language. In Portuguese, it is called Tamanqueiro, while in Chinese, it is identified as 腺质山麻杆 (zh), 腺质山麻杆 (zh-cn), or 腺貭山麻桿 (zh-tw).
Language Common Name Source
pt Tamanqueiro Wikidata
zh 腺质山麻杆 Wikidata
zh-cn 腺质山麻杆 Wikidata
zh-tw 腺貭山麻桿 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range that spans across both Central and South America. In the Central American region, it can be found growing in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panamá. Moving into Northern South America, the species is also distributed within Venezuela. Its presence extends further south into Western South America, where it inhabits parts of Bolivia. Consequently, the distribution of Alchornea glandulosa covers a significant portion of the tropical Neotropics.

Region Area Source
Central America Costa Rica WCVP
Central America Nicaragua WCVP
Central America Panamá WCVP
Northern South America Venezuela WCVP
Western South America Bolivia WCVP
Western South America Colombia WCVP
Western South America Ecuador WCVP
Western South America Peru WCVP
Brazil Brazil West-Central WCVP
Brazil Brazil Northeast WCVP

Chemicals

Alchornea glandulosa has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, pterogynidine.

Total chemicals
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
flavonoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆
pterogynidine 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Alchornea glandulosa has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include gastritis, ulcers.

Total uses
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
gastritis 1 ★☆☆☆☆
ulcers 1 ★☆☆☆☆