Miconia

Miconia, commonly known as various local names depending on the region, is a diverse genus of flowering plants within the Melastomataceae family. Renowned for their striking vein patterns and vibrant blooms, many species possess significant ethnobotanical value, offering therapeutic potential in traditional medicine for treating inflammation and various ailments.

  • Scientific name: Miconia
  • Family: Melastomataceae
  • 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 Myrtales, it is classified under the family Melastomataceae. Specifically, the medicinal species falls under the genus Miconia.

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

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Miconia, is referred to by various names depending on the language and region. In Catalan, it is called payas, while in Azerbaijani, it is known as Mikoniya. In Russian, the plant is identified as микония, and in Czech, it is referred to as širál. Additionally, in Japanese, it is categorized under the name オオバノボタン属.
Language Common Name Source
qu Payas Wikidata
az Mikoniya Wikidata
ru микония Wikidata
cs širál Wikidata
ja オオバノボタン属 Wikidata
hr Mikonija Wikidata
arz ميكونيا Wikidata
zh 绢木属 Wikidata
zh-cn 绢木属 Wikidata
zh-tw 大葉野牡丹屬 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across various islands within the Western Indian Ocean region. It can be found growing naturally in the Comoros archipelago. Additionally, its presence extends to the islands of Mauritius and Réunion. The species is also documented throughout the diverse landscapes of Madagascar. Finally, its geographical range includes the unique environments of the Seychelles.

Region Area Source
Western Indian Ocean Comoros WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Mauritius WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Madagascar WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Réunion WCVP
Western Indian Ocean Seychelles WCVP
Indian Subcontinent India WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Sri Lanka WCVP
Indo-China Thailand WCVP
Malesia Jawa WCVP
Malesia Malaya WCVP

Activities

Miconia has 10 reported activities identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial, Anticancer.

Total activities
10
Scientific sources
13

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Analgesic 2 ★☆☆☆☆
Antioxidant 2 ★☆☆☆☆
Cytotoxic 2 ★☆☆☆☆
Antibacterial 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Anticancer 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antimicrobial 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antimutagenic 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antinociceptive 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antiparasitic 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Mutagenic 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Miconia has 6 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include pain, cancer, cold, fever, leishmania.

Total uses
6
Scientific sources
7

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
pain 2 ★☆☆☆☆
cancer 1 ★☆☆☆☆
cold 1 ★☆☆☆☆
fever 1 ★☆☆☆☆
leishmania 1 ★☆☆☆☆
osteoarthritis 1 ★☆☆☆☆