Bersama abyssinica
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64400cf835601134119921 |
| Scientific name | Bersama abyssinica |
| Authority | Fresen. |
| First published in | Mus. Senckenberg. 2: 281 (1837) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Ethnobotanical uses of Bersama abyssinica have been recorded across several East African communities and southern Africa, where infusions and decoctions of different plant parts are prepared. Among the Lango of northern Uganda, a leaf infusion is taken to treat malaria, while a root decoction is used to treat stomach problems and fevers (Tabuti et al., 2003). In parts of Ethiopia, a leaf decoction is given to mothers after childbirth to promote uterine contraction and expel the placenta (Bekele, 2007), and leaf infusions are used for fever (Nyangeri et al., 2010). In the Eastern Cape, South Africa, infusion of the roots or bark is used for abdominal pain and intestinal worms, and pounded leaf poultices are applied to wounds and sore joints (Steenkamp, 2003). Among the Zulu and related southern African groups, bark infusions are used to treat stomach aches and dysentery (Hutchings, 1996). In Botswana and adjacent regions, a stem or bark infusion is taken for coughs and colds (Flying Pharmacy, 2018).
As a practical recipe, a mild leaf tea is traditionally prepared by boiling about 2–3 g of fresh leaves in 1 cup (≈250 mL) of water for 10–15 minutes, straining, and drinking half a cup once or twice daily. For a simple bark infusion used for stomach complaints, simmer about 5 g of dried bark in 250 mL of water for 20 minutes, cool, and drink no more than one cup per day. Use caution: while these preparations are widely reported, species of Bersama are not commonly listed in mainstream pharmacopeias, and pregnant and nursing women should avoid them due to uterotonic activity noted in traditional use (Bekele, 2007).
Well-established phytochemicals reported in B. abyssinica include alkaloids (notably alkaloidal diterpenes such as the lucanthones), tannins, and flavonoids. These classes plausibly account for the widely reported uses in gastrointestinal and infectious contexts (Msonthi and Sekheti, 1991; Hannington et al., 1998). Modern relevance remains grounded in local and regional practice; however, commercial availability is limited and recent pharmacological studies continue to explore analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities linked to the same compound classes identified in ethnobotanical records (Msonthi and Sekheti, 1991).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Poles, posts, tool handles, flooring, and fuelwood.
Wood and fiber:
The wood is used for construction timber, poles, posts, tool handles, flooring, and occasionally furniture. It is also utilized as fuelwood and for charcoal production. In parts of Ethiopia it serves as live fencing and for hedgerows; wood splitting is commonly used for fencing and posts. In Uganda it is employed as live fencing for livestock and as a hedge plant. No specific mechanical data are reported in the reviewed sources.
Standards and regulation:
No standards specific to this timber were identified in the reviewed sources.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Bersama chloroleuca | Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 414 (1917) |
| Bersama coriacea | Baker f. | J. Bot. 45: 15 (1907) |
| Bersama engleri | Gürke ex Engl. | Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1891(2): 293, nomen. 1892 |
| Bersama erythrocarpa | Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 395 (1917) |
| Bersama gallensis | Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 403 (1917) |
| Bersama giuliarellii | Chiov. | Atti Reale Accad. Italia, Mem. Cl. Sci. Fis. 11: 26 (1940) |
| Bersama goetzei | Gürke | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 28: 424 (1901) |
| Bersama gracilipes | Mildbr. | Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 11: 668 (1932) |
| Bersama hebecalyx | Gilg & Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 414 (1917) |
| Bersama holstii | Gürke | Beibl. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 47: 36 (1894) |
| Bersama integrifolia | A.Rich. | Tent. Fl. Abyss. 1: 107 (1847) |
| Bersama jaegeri | Gilg & Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 394 (1917) |
| Bersama kandtii | Gilg & Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 402 (1917) |
| Bersama magnifica | A.Chev. | Rev. Int. Bot. Appl. Agric. Trop. xxxi. 386 (1951), sine descr. lat. |
| Bersama ninagongensis | Gürke | Wiss. Erg. Deut. Zentr.-Afr. Exped., Bot. 2: 483 (1912) |
| Bersama serrata | A.Rich. | Tent. Fl. Abyss. 1: 107 (1847) |
| Bersama suffruticosa | Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 401 (1917) |
| Bersama ussanguensis | Brehmer | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 400 (1917) |
| Bersama volkensii | Gürke | Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler & Prantl] iii. 5. (1895) 381 nomen. |
| Bersama abyssinica var. gracilipes | Verdc. | Kew Bull. 13: 219 1958 |
| Bersama abyssinica var. holstii | Verdc. | Kew Bull. 10: 600 1955 publ. 1956 |
| Bersama abyssinica var. kandtii | Verdc. | Kew Bull. 10: 600 1955 publ. 1956 |
| Bersama abyssinica var. ugandensis | Verdc. | Kew Bull. 12: 351 1957 |
| Bersama abyssinica var. usambarica | Verdc. | Kew Bull. 10: 600 1955 publ. 1956 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Amharic | ኣዛምር |
| Hausa | rahaiwa |
| Kinyarwanda | umukaka |
| Kinyarwanda | umurogora |
| Chinese | 娑羽树 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Bersama abyssinica subsp. paullinioides | (Planch.) Verdc. | Kew Bull. 5: 237. 1950 (1950) |
| Bersama abyssinica subsp. rosea | (Hoyle) Mikkelsen | Pl. Syst. Evol. 227: 176 (2001) |
| Bersama abyssinica subsp. abyssinica | Unknown |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
-
South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
-
West Tropical Africa
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Burundi
- Cabinda
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Gabon
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Rwanda
- Zaïre
-
East Tropical Africa
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Arabian Peninsula
- Yemen
-
Arabian Peninsula
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000564438 |
| Tropicos | 20500027 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:782127-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2675088 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 115743 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 113247 |
| IUCN Red List | 146298209 |
| IPNI | 782127-1 |
| iNaturalist | 132573 |
| GBIF | 3845259 |
| Freebase | /m/02x8b9g |
| EPPO | BEMAB |
| USDA GRIN | 411729 |
| Wikipedia | Bersama_abyssinica |
| CMAUP | NPO1456 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acid esters | |||||
| Benzyl Benzoate | 2345 | Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)COC(=O)C2=CC=CC=C2 | 212.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acid esters / o-Hydroxybenzoic acid esters | |||||
| Methyl Salicylate | 4133 | Click to see COC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1O | 152.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoyl derivatives | |||||
| 3-Methoxybenzaldehyde | 11569 | Click to see | 136.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Benzaldehyde | 240 | Click to see | 106.12 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzyloxycarbonyls | |||||
| Benzyl acetate | 8785 | Click to see | 150.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Phenol esters | |||||
| Eugenyl Acetate | 7136 | Click to see | 206.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Phenols / 1-hydroxy-2-unsubstituted benzenoids | |||||
| Chavicol | 68148 | Click to see | 134.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Phenols / Methoxyphenols | |||||
| 2-Propenal, 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)- | 9984 | Click to see | 178.18 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Eugenol | 3314 | Click to see | 164.20 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Vanillin | 1183 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C=O)O | 152.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Branched unsaturated hydrocarbons | |||||
| (1S,4Z,8R)-5,9,9-trimethyl-2-methylidenebicyclo[6.2.0]dec-4-ene | 18502770 | Click to see CC1=CCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C | 190.32 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| beta-Humulene | 5318102 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Caryophyllene | 5281515 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Caryophyllene oxide | 1742210 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Humulene | 5281520 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| 3-Hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid | 619166 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/J39670001268 |
| Oleanolic Acid | 10494 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/J39670001268 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Steroid esters | |||||
| Abyssinin | 158252 | Click to see | 482.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)91210-9 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Steroid lactones / Bufanolides and derivatives | |||||
| (3S,10S,13R,14S,17R)-3,14-dihydroxy-13-methyl-17-(6-oxopyran-3-yl)-1,2,3,6,7,8,9,11,12,15,16,17-dodecahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-10-carbaldehyde | 10526 | Click to see | 398.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00817A011 |
| 19-Oxo-3-beta,5,14-trihydroxy-5-beta-bufa-20,22-dienolide-3-acetate | 19985 | Click to see | 458.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0500272 |
| Scilliglaucosidin | 12315400 | Click to see | 398.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00817A011 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP0500272 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969569 |
| Stigmast-5-en-3-ol | 22012 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969569 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Phenolic glycosides | |||||
| Biflorin | 441959 | Click to see | 354.31 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Clove 3 | 10338198 | Click to see | 354.31 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Ketones | |||||
| 2-Heptanone | 8051 | Click to see | 114.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Phenylketones / Alkyl-phenylketones | |||||
| Eugenone | 5317271 | Click to see | 252.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzopyrans / 1-benzopyrans / Chromones | |||||
| Eugenin | 10189 | Click to see | 206.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Eugenitin | 3083581 | Click to see CC1=CC(=O)C2=C(C(=C(C=C2O1)OC)C)O | 220.22 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Eugenitol | 5036604 | Click to see | 206.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Isoeugenitin | 12310980 | Click to see | 220.22 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Isoeugenitol | 5318562 | Click to see | 206.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzopyrans / 1-benzopyrans / Xanthones | |||||
| Mangiferin | 5281647 | Click to see C1=C2C(=CC(=C1O)O)OC3=C(C2=O)C(=C(C(=C3)O)C4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 422.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2007-969569 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Rhamnetin | 5281691 | Click to see | 316.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| Npc142591 | 101937309 | Click to see | 434.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Tannins / Hydrolyzable tannins | |||||
| 1-O,3-O-Digalloyl-4-O,6-O-[(4,4',5,5',6,6'-hexahydroxy-2,2'-biphenylylene)biscarbonyl]-beta-D-glucopyranose | 10056061 | Click to see C1C2C(C(C(C(O2)OC(=O)C3=CC(=C(C(=C3)O)O)O)O)OC(=O)C4=CC(=C(C(=C4)O)O)O)OC(=O)C5=CC(=C(C(=C5C6=C(C(=C(C=C6C(=O)O1)O)O)O)O)O)O | 786.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Casuarictin | 73644 | Click to see | 936.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Eugeniin | 442679 | Click to see | 938.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| GlyTouCan:G69718UQ | 9918701 | Click to see | 786.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Strictinin | 73330 | Click to see | 634.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |