Lumnitzera racemosa

White-flowered black mangrove

Lumnitzera racemosa, commonly known as the "Bato-bato" in certain regions, is a significant medicinal plant valued for its therapeutic properties. Native to tropical landscapes, this shrub is traditionally utilized in folk medicine to treat various ailments, offering promising ethnobotanical insights into its potential bioactive compounds and healing capabilities.

  • Scientific name: Lumnitzera racemosa
  • Family: Combretaceae
  • Native range: Africa

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 Myrtales and the family Combretaceae. Ultimately, its specific taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Lumnitzera.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Myrtales WCVP
Family Combretaceae WCVP
Genus Lumnitzera WCVP

Common Names

This plant, scientifically known as Lumnitzera racemosa, is recognized by various local names across different languages and cultures. In Arabic, it is referred to as لومني عنقودية, while in Chinese, it is known as 榄李. Its Japanese common name is ヒルギモドキ, and in the South Indian languages of Malayalam and Bengali, it is called കടകണ്ടൽ and কিরপা, respectively.
Language Common Name Source
ar لومني عنقودية Wikidata
zh 榄李 Wikidata
ja ヒルギモドキ Wikidata
ml കടകണ്ടൽ Wikidata
bn কিরপা Wikidata
th ฝาดขาว Wikidata
zh-tw 欖李 Wikidata
zh-cn 榄李 Wikidata
arz لومنى عنقوديه Wikidata
id Teruntum putih Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions of the African continent and its surrounding islands. Within East Tropical Africa, its presence is recorded in both Kenya and Tanzania. Moving into the southern regions, it can be found in Mozambique and specifically within the KwaZulu-Natal province of Southern Africa. Additionally, the species extends into the Western Indian Ocean, reaching the Aldabra islands. This diverse range highlights the plant's ability to inhabit various coastal and tropical environments.

Region Area Source
East Tropical Africa Kenya WCVP
East Tropical Africa Tanzania WCVP
South Tropical Africa Mozambique WCVP
Southern Africa KwaZulu-Natal WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Aldabra WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Comoros WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Madagascar WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Seychelles WCVP
China Hainan WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Limnizera racemosa, utilizes various components for its medicinal properties, specifically its leaves and bark. The leaves are often collected for their bioactive compounds, which contribute to the plant's therapeutic effects when processed into traditional remedies. Similarly, the bark serves as a vital part of the plant used in various formulations, containing concentrated constituents that are essential to its traditional healing applications.
Total parts
2
Scientific sources
2
Plant Part Sources Confidence
leaves 1 ★☆☆☆☆
bark 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Lumnitzera racemosa has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, heptacosane, nonacosane, palmitic acid, steroids.

Total chemicals
6
Scientific sources
6

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
flavonoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆
heptacosane 1 ★☆☆☆☆
nonacosane 1 ★☆☆☆☆
palmitic acid 1 ★☆☆☆☆
steroids 1 ★☆☆☆☆
triterpenoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Lumnitzera racemosa has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Total uses
2
Scientific sources
3

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
Staphylococcus aureus 2 ★☆☆☆☆
Pseudomonas aeruginosa 1 ★☆☆☆☆