Strychnos wallichiana

Strychnos wallichiana, commonly known as Wallichia's Strychnine tree, is a significant medicinal plant found in tropical regions. Renowned for its potent alkaloids, particularly strychnine, it has been utilized in traditional medicine to treat various ailments. Research continues to explore its pharmacological properties, including its impact on the nervous system.

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

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianales, it is classified under the family Loganiaceae and is specifically 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, Strychnoos wallichiaana, is known by various names across different languages and regions. In Chinese, it is referred to as 长籽马钱 (zh), 长籽马钱 (zh-cn), 長籽馬錢 (zh-tw), and 长籽马钱 (zh-hans), while in Malayalam, it is commonly known as മോതിരക്കാഞ്ഞിരം (ml).
Language Common Name Source
zh 长籽马钱 Wikidata
ml മോതിരക്കാഞ്ഞിരം Wikidata
zh-cn 长籽马钱 Wikidata
zh-tw 長籽馬錢 Wikidata
zh-hans 长籽马钱 Wikidata
zh 皮氏马钱 Wikidata
zh 闹狗药 Wikidata
zh 尾叶马钱 Wikidata
zh 云南马钱 Wikidata
zh 马钱子 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution across several distinct regions of Asia. In the Indian Subcontinent, its presence is noted in Assam, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It can also be found within the Indo-China region, specifically inhabiting the Andaman Islands. Furthermore, the species extends into the South-Central parts of China. Together, these locations highlight the diverse habitats where the plant naturally thrives.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Assam WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Bangladesh WCVP
Indian Subcontinent Sri Lanka WCVP
Indo-China Andaman Is. WCVP
Indo-China Myanmar WCVP
Indo-China Vietnam WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, known scientifically as Strychnos wallichiana, is a medicinal shrub that derives much of its pharmacological significance from its specific components. While various aspects of the plant may be studied, the most critical part used in traditional and clinical applications is the seeds. These seeds contain potent alkaloids that are central to its medicinal properties, requiring careful handling and precise dosage due to their high concentration of active compounds.
Total parts
1
Scientific sources
1
Plant Part Sources Confidence
seeds 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

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

Total chemicals
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Compounds

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

Activities

Strychnos wallichiana has 1 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimalarial.

Total activities
1
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Antimalarial 2 ★☆☆☆☆