Anamirta cocculus

Animirta cocculus, commonly known as Fishberry or Peyote, is a climbing shrub native to tropical Asia. Renowned in traditional medicine, its berries contain an alkaloid called picrotoxin. While historically used as an anthelmintic to expel parasites, its high toxicity requires extreme caution and precise pharmacological application in modern studies.

  • Scientific name: Anamirta cocculus
  • Family: Menispermaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Tropical

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It falls under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Ranunculales, specifically being a member of the Menispermaceae family. Finally, it is taxonomically identified under the genus Anamirta.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Ranunculales WCVP
Family Menispermaceae WCVP
Genus Anamirta WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Anamirta cocculus, is recognized by various regional names across different languages and cultures. In Portuguese, it is referred to as anamirta, while in French, it is called coqure du Levant. In the Malayalam language, it is known as പൊള്ള, and in Czech, it is identified as kebule korková. Additionally, in Russian, the plant is called Анамирта коккулюсoвидная.
Language Common Name Source
pt anamirta Wikidata
fr coque du Levant Wikidata
ml പൊള്ള Wikidata
cs kebule korková Wikidata
ru Анамирта коккулюсовидная Wikidata
ca croca de llevant Wikidata
hi काकमारी Wikidata
kn ಕಾಗೆ ಮಾಂಬಳ್ಳಿ Wikidata
ar عنيبية حورية الأوراق Wikidata
fi intiananamirta Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread distribution across various regions of the Indian Subcontinent. It can be found growing naturally within the diverse landscapes of India and Bangladesh. Additionally, its presence extends to the lush environments of Assam and the island nation of Sri Lanka. Beyond the mainland, the species is also documented in the Andaman Is. of the Indo-China region. Together, these locations highlight the significant geographical range of Anamirta cocculus.

Region Area Source
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Bangladesh WCVP
Indian Subcontinent India WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Sri Lanka WCVP
Indo-China Andaman Is. WCVP
Indo-China Cambodia WCVP
Indo-China Laos WCVP
Indo-China Myanmar WCVP
Indo-China Nicobar Is. WCVP
Indo-China Thailand WCVP

Chemicals

Anamirta cocculus has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include picrotin, picrotoxinin.

Total chemicals
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
picrotin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
picrotoxinin 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Anamirta cocculus has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include dizziness, vertigo.

Total uses
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
dizziness 1 ★☆☆☆☆
vertigo 1 ★☆☆☆☆