Blainvillea acmella
Blainvillea acmella, commonly known as the "vetchia" or "blainvillea," is a versatile medicinal shrub native to tropical regions. Renowned for its potent therapeutic properties, it is traditionally used to treat skin ailments, inflammation, and digestive issues. This plant serves as a vital resource in various ethnobotanical healing practices.
- Scientific name: Blainvillea acmella
- Family: Asteraceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Specifically, it is identified by its genus name, Blainvillea, and its species designation, acmella.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Asterales | WCVP |
| Family | Asteraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Blainvillea | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Bianvillea acmella, is known by several different common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In Chinese, it is referred to as 百能葳 (zh, zh-cn, zh-tw), 天文草 (zh), and 亚黑管菌 (zh).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh | 百能葳 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 百能葳 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 百能葳 | Wikidata |
| zh | 天文草 | Wikidata |
| zh | 亚黑管菌 | Wikidata |
| zh | 鱼鳞菜 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across several distinct African regions. In Northern Africa, its presence is recorded within the borders of Egypt. Moving toward West Tropical Africa, it can be found in both Benin and Burkina. Its range extends further into West-Central Tropical Africa, specifically within the Central African Republic. Additionally, the species is distributed across the islands of the Gulf of Guinea.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Africa | Egypt | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Central African Republic | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Socotra | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Somalia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Sudan-South Sudan | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Angola | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Botswana | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Blainvillea acmella, possesses distinct morphological features across its various structures used in traditional medicine. The leaf is typically simple, often characterized by an elliptical shape and a smooth texture that helps in photosynthesis and nutrient production. The stem serves as a sturdy structural support, facilitating the transport of water and essential minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. Finally, the flower represents the reproductive component, often blooming in specific seasonal cycles to ensure the continuation of the species through pollination.- Total parts
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 4
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flower | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Blainvillea acmella has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include apigenin, flavonoid, phytol, pinostrobin.
- Total chemicals
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| phytol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| pinostrobin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Blainvillea acmella has 11 reported activities identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, Anesthetic, Anticonvulsant, Antifungal.
- Total activities
- 11
- Scientific sources
- 13
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anesthetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticonvulsant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antipyretic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiseptic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Aphrodisiac | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diuretic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Blainvillea acmella has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include toothache.
- Total uses
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| toothache | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |