Strychnos potatorum

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Caution, Seeds

Young fruits are occasionally eaten fresh or made into preserves, with the pulp being the part consumed. They are also an ingredient in 'Raja's Cup', an Ayurvedic coffee substitute. The fruit is a sub-globose berry, 12–18mm in diameter, with a firm skin that turns black when ripe and contains 1–2 seeds in a whitish pulp.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows at medium to low altitudes. It occurs in open woodland and along dry watercourses.

Africa, Asia, Botswana, East Africa, India, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

How to Identify

A shrub or tree. It can be 5-15 m high. The bark is pale grey or silver-grey. The leaves are oval and 6-15 cm long by 3-9 cm wide. They are thin in texture. They are glossy green above and paler underneath. The flowers are whitish to yellowish-green. They are 5 mm long. They occur in 2-5 flowered heads on very slender stalks. Several heads occur together forming a spiky looking cluster. The fruit are round and softly fleshy. They are smooth and 2 cm across.

How to Grow

A shade-bearing tree, growing up well under the canopy of deciduous forest. Established trees are very drought tolerant. The plant produces root suckers.

Propagation: Sow seed in deep individual containers or in situ, as the seedling quickly produces a soft, delicate taproot. Half-ripe cuttings can also be taken. The plant can also be propagated from root suckers.

Medicinal Uses

Pounded leaves are applied to treat watering and aching eyes, and a decoction is taken for epilepsy. The roots are considered aphrodisiac, and the vapour from a root decoction is inhaled to treat colds and venereal diseases. A decoction of the roots and leaves is taken for coughs. The seeds are used to treat a wide range of conditions including liver, kidney, and stomach complaints; gonorrhoea; leucorrhoea; bronchitis; chronic diarrhoea; strangury; kidney and bladder stones; diabetes; and eye diseases. The plant contains numerous monomeric and dimeric indole alkaloids, with the root bark being especially rich. The root bark alkaloid cantleyine has shown a relaxing effect on isolated tracheal smooth muscles, suggesting it may be responsible for anti-cough and anti-asthmatic activity. Normacusine B, a monomeric corynanthe-class alkaloid also found in Rauvolfia, Tabernaemontana, and Vinca species, is sympatholytic with hypotensive activity stronger than reserpine. Total alkaloid extracts from the seeds, bark, and leaves showed strychnine-like activity in vivo, marked hypotensive effects, and a depressant action on isolated heart muscle. In-vivo tests with seed powder and aqueous seed extract demonstrated prevention of ulcer formation through reduced acid secretion and increased mucin activity. An aqueous seed extract has shown significant hepatoprotective activity, and a methanol extract of the seeds exhibited both diuretic and antidiarrhoeal effects against castor oil-induced diarrhoea.

Other Uses

The cut seeds can be rubbed around the inside of a rough earthenware vessel before water is added; this causes most impurities to settle to the bottom, allowing cleaner water to be poured off. The seeds contain polyelectrolytes that act as coagulants, and laboratory tests using them in direct filtration of turbid surface water produced substantial improvements in aesthetic and microbiological quality. The yellowish-grey wood has conspicuous white markings, is close-grained, very hard, and termite resistant, but splits easily and is therefore unsuitable for carving. It is used to make carts, shafts, agricultural implements, and tool handles.

Strychnos potatorum also known as clearing-nut tree (Telugu: చిల్లగింజ, Kannada: kataka/ಕತಕ, Tamil: தேத்தான் கொட்டை(Thethankottai), Bengali: কতকা Hindi: Nirmali Burmese: ခပေါင်းရေကြည်, Sinhala ඉඟිනි) is a deciduous tree which has height up to 40 feet (12 meters). The seeds of the tree are commonly used in traditional medicine as well as for purifying water in India and Myanmar.

Notes

The ripe seeds are used to clear muddy water.

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