Flacourtia indica
Flacourtia indica, commonly known as the Indian Screw Tree, is a versatile tropical evergreen tree found across coastal regions. Renowned for its medicinal properties, its leaves, bark, and fruits are utilized in traditional medicine to treat ailments ranging from skin infections to digestive issues, offering significant ethnobotanical value.
- Scientific name: Flacourtia indica
- Family: Salicaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae, the order Malpighiales, and the family Salicaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Flacourtia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Salicaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Flacourtia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Flacourtia indica, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Bengali, it is called বৈঁচি (baichi), while in Malayalam, it is referred to as അഘോരി (aghari). It is known as Флакуртия индийская in Russian, and in Thailand, it is called ตะขบป่า (takop pa). Additionally, in Chinese, the plant is commonly known as 刺篱木 (cì lí mù).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| bn | বৈঁচি | Wikidata |
| ml | അഘോരി | Wikidata |
| ru | Флакуртия индийская | Wikidata |
| th | ตะขบป่า | Wikidata |
| zh | 刺篱木 | Wikidata |
| fa | رامونچی | Wikidata |
| lv | Indijas batakoplūme | Wikidata |
| ar | فلاكورة هندية | Wikidata |
| sw | Mkingili | Wikidata |
| ace | Rungkhom | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution concentrated within the tropical regions of the African continent. In West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found growing in the countries of Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda. Its presence is also well-documented within the vast territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Furthermore, the species extends its reach into Northeast Tropical Africa. Specifically, this particular region includes the nation of Chad as part of its natural habitat.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Congo | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Chad | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Somalia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Sudan-South Sudan | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as the Indian Clause, possesses various medicinal components that are utilized in traditional practices. The bark is frequently employed for its therapeutic properties, often used in decoctions to treat ailments such as skin diseases or digestive issues. Its leaves are equally significant, frequently prepared as poultices or infusions to address inflammation and other minor ailments. The fruits, which are small and edible, can be used both as a food source and for their specific medicinal benefits in local folk medicine. Collectively, these aerial parts—comprising the bark, leaves, and fruits—serve as the primary elements harvested for their bioactive potential.- Total parts
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 6
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| bark | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aerial parts | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Flacourtia indica has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 10-deacetylbaccatin, flavonoid, flavonoids, linoleic acid ethyl ester, picrotoxinin.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 10-deacetylbaccatin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| linoleic acid ethyl ester | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| picrotoxinin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Flacourtia indica has 4 reported activities identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antiproliferative, Cytotoxic.
- Total activities
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 5
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Flacourtia indica has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Acute myeloid leukemia, Chronic myeloid leukemia, Plasmodium falciparum, cancer.
- Total uses
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Acute lymphoblastic leukemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Acute myeloid leukemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Chronic myeloid leukemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium falciparum | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dyslipidemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative stress | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |