bitter-grass

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• bitter-grass
• eboka
• iboga
• ibogo
• leaf-of-God
• sacredwood

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Iboga vateriana
• Tabernanthe mannii
• Tabernanthe pubescens
• Tabernanthe subsessilis
• Tabernanthe tenuiflora
• Tabernanthe albiflora
• Tabernanthe bocca

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. Following the subclass Magnoliidae, it is positioned in the order Gentianales and the family Apocynaceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Tabernaemontana.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily found throughout the West-Central Tropical Africa region. Its natural habitat extends across the borders of the Central African Republic and Cameroon. Additionally, the species can be located within the lush landscapes of Congo. It is also known to grow within the territory of Gabon. Finally, its distribution includes the specific area of Cabinda.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Tabernanthe iboga is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its natural habitat through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth and survival strategy, the plant exhibits a phanerophyte life form, characterized by having its buds located on branches well above the ground level. Depending on the specific environmental conditions and the developmental stage of the specimen, its architecture can also be categorized under the nanophanerophyte classification, reflecting a compact woody structure where the buds are situated relatively close to the ground but still elevated.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Tabernanthe iboga is characterized by a woody growth form, typically manifesting as a shrub. This plant maintains a self-supporting structure and reaches an average plant height of approximately 1.5 m. It is a terrestrial species, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte, and it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Tabernanthe iboga is characterized by its specialized secondary metabolism, which focuses on the biosynthesis of complex indole alkaloids within its root and stem tissues. These alkaloids, most notably ibogaine, are produced through complex enzymatic pathways that divert amino acid precursors into specific chemical structures used for plant defense and chemical signaling. As a woody shrub adapted to the tropical environments of Central Africa, its metabolic processes are optimized for nutrient uptake and resource allocation in forest understory conditions. Regarding its nutrient cycling capabilities, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with rhizobia or other nitrogen-fixing bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form, meaning its nitrogen requirements are met entirely through soil absorption. This reliance on soil nitrates and ammonium influences its growth patterns and its physiological dependency on the organic matter decomposition within its native habitat.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Tabernanthe iboga is characterized by a highly flexible phenological cycle, as both its flowering and fruiting periods exhibit significant temporal variability. The flowering process does not adhere to a strict, singular seasonal window; instead, the flowering start and flowering end times are variable and can occur across any month of the year, including January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. Similarly, the fruit production cycle follows this non-fixed pattern, with the fruiting start and fruiting end times also being variable throughout the entire calendar year. This widespread distribution of reproductive stages suggests that the plant's flowering and subsequent fruiting are likely influenced by specific localized environmental cues rather than a rigid chronological schedule.

Flowering time :

variable

Fruiting time :

variable

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Tabernanthe iboga has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Natural product letters
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemicals

Tabernanthe iboga has 17 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include IBOGAINE, Tabernanthine, Epiibogamine, Ibochine, Ibogaline.

IBOGAINE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Tabernanthine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des seances de l'Academie des sciences. Serie D: Sciences naturelles

Epiibogamine

1. Dr. Duke

Ibochine

1. Dr. Duke

Ibogaline

1. Dr. Duke

Ibogamine

1. Dr. Duke

Iboluteine

1. Dr. Duke

Ibophyllidine

1. Dr. Duke

Iboxygaine

1. Dr. Duke

Iboxyphylline

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Tabernanthe iboga has 54 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Psychotropic, Anthelmintic, AntiHIV, Antialzheimeran?, Antibacterial.

Psychotropic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

Antialzheimeran?

1. Dr. Duke

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke

Anticariogenic

1. Dr. Duke

Anticholinesterase

1. Dr. Duke

Anticonvulsant

1. Dr. Duke

Antidepressant

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Tabernanthe iboga has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include alcohol intake, alcoholism.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations