Strychnos ignatii

Strychnos ignatia

Strychnos ignatii, commonly known as Saint Ignatius bean, is a tropical climbing shrub native to the Pacific Islands. Renowned for its potent alkaloids, specifically strychnine and brucine, this plant has historically been utilized in traditional medicine, though its extreme toxicity requires careful handling and precise pharmacological application.

  • Scientific name: Strychnos ignatii
  • Family: Loganiaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified under the order Gentianales and the family Loganiaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Strychnos.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Gentianales WCVP
Family Loganiaceae WCVP
Genus Strychnos WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Strychnos ignatii, is referred to by various names depending on the language and region. In English, it is commonly called Strychnos ignatia, while in German, it is known as Ignatius-Brechnuss. In Catalan, it is identified as fava de Sant Ignasi, and in Malay, it is called Ipuh akar. Additionally, in Chinese, the plant is known as 吕宋果.
Language Common Name Source
de Ignatius-Brechnuss Wikidata
ca fava de Sant Ignasi Wikidata
en Strychnos ignatia Wikidata
zh 吕宋果 Wikidata
ms Ipuh akar Wikidata
fi Malesianstrykniinipähkinä Wikidata
ar فول هندي مسهل Wikidata
id Cetek Wikidata
zh-cn 吕宋果 Wikidata
zh-tw 吕宋果 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern across parts of East and Southeast Asia. In China, its presence is noted in the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan regions. Moving into the Indo-China peninsula, the species can be found growing in Thailand. It is also documented as being native to the landscapes of Vietnam. Together, these locations define the primary geographical range for Strychnos ignatii.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
China Hainan WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
Indo-China Thailand WCVP
Indo-China Vietnam WCVP
Malesia Borneo WCVP
Malesia Jawa WCVP
Malesia Malaya WCVP
Malesia Philippines WCVP
Malesia Sumatera WCVP

Chemicals

Strychnos ignatii has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include strychnine, brucine.

Total chemicals
2
Scientific sources
3

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
strychnine 2 ★☆☆☆☆
brucine 1 ★☆☆☆☆