Draft:Abuta convexa

Abuta Convexa

Taxonomy

Abuta Convexa belongs to the Ranunculales order, under the Menispermaceae family, Menispermoideae subfamily, and Anomospermeae tribe¹. It is a species of the Abuta genus, which is a part of the flowering plant family Menispermaceae². This genus consists of about 32 species, native to tropical Central and South America².

Description

Abuta species are typically dioecious climbers, or rarely erect trees or shrubs². They have simple leaves and their flowers are in composed panicles². The male flowers have six sepals in two whorls, six stamens that can be either connate or free, and anthers with a longitudinal or transverse dehiscence². The female flowers have sepals and petals similar to the male flowers, six staminodes, and three carpels². The drupes are ovoid, the endocarp is woody, the condyle is septiform, the endosperm is ruminate, and the embryo is curved². These species are found in the tropical rain forest².

Uses

Abuta is one of the components of the arrow poison curare used by some indigenous tribes of South America². Particularly, the roots of Abuta rufescens are used as medicinal in diseases of the urogenital tract². However, it is considered dangerous². The dichloromethane extracts of Abuta grandifolia demonstrated high larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti².

Synonymy

The basionym of Abuta Convexa is Cissampelos convexa Vell¹. Other heterotypic synonyms include Cissampelos abutua Vell, Cissampelos tomentosa Vell, Cocculus tomentosus Mart, Cocculus macrophyllus A.St.-Hil. & Tul, Cocculus martii A.St.-Hil. & Tul, Abuta heterophylla Miers, and Abuta macrophylla (A.St.-Hil. & Tul.) Miers¹.

References

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