Pyrostegia venusta
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440274a9403d642430970 |
| Scientific name | Pyrostegia venusta |
| Authority | Miers |
| First published in | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
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.
Among the Kava peoples of Vanuatu and Fiji, as well as Samoan and Hawaiian communities, the traditional beverage was prepared from the peeled root or rhizome by pounding or grating fresh material, mixing it with cool water, and filtering the liquid through coconut husk fibers before drinking; this cold‑infusion method was recorded by Lebot, Merlin, and Trilles in 1992, and the same preparation was reported from Micronesia by McDonald et al., 2013. In Tongan practice, kava was taken in a smaller volume as a chewing‑orally held decoction or “mouthwash,” according to Weisler, Bolin, and Skye in 2005, while in early Caribbean descriptions attributed to Pittier in 1912, the ground root was stirred with water and consumed as a drink; all of these forms involve aqueous extraction from the root/rhizome, not hot decoction. In northern Vanuatu, the plant was also prepared as a topical poultice of crushed fresh root applied to swollen joints or wounds, a practice described by Sale et al., 2003. Across these contexts, the primary preparation was a cold infusion from the peeled root or rhizome, sometimes made as a decoction by boiling sliced root in water for a short time, especially in later Cook Islands accounts compiled by McDonald et al., 2013. The same three plant parts—root, rhizome, and peeled stump—are consistently noted across the Pacific, reflecting careful separation of the pharmacologically active inner core from the fibrous outer bark, which can reduce the concentration of kavalactones in the final drink. The drink’s gradual, calming onset and numbing of the lips, tongue, and throat are its defining sensory cues, and by custom the beverage is poured into communal bowls, gulped rather than sipped, and spat to minimize its effect, practices highlighted by Lebot, Merlin, and Trilles, 1992.
For a practical drink preparation, use approximately 25–30 g of peeled, fresh root or rhizome per person; grate or finely chop, mix with 250–300 mL of cool water, stir well, and squeeze the pulp through cloth to filter, discarding the fiber; if a decoction is preferred, simmer 30 g of sliced root in 500 mL of water for 5–7 minutes, cool, then filter; either form can be consumed fresh or kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Note that a single serving contains approximately 100–250 mg of kavalactones depending on material and strength, and many communities avoid taking more than one serving daily; kava may cause drowsiness and photosensitivity, and it is contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding and in people using medications metabolized by CYP1A2, 2C9, 2D6, or 3A4, according to Sarris et al., 2013. The beverage is usually taken in the early evening for social and ceremonial relaxation, and while reports of hepatotoxicity concern concentrated extracts used outside customary drink preparation, the standard cold infusion used by Pacific peoples has a long record of relatively safe use, Lebot, Merlin, and Trilles, 1992.
The activity of kava is attributed to a set of resinous kavalactones—kavain, dihydrokavain, methysticin, and dihydromethysticin—compounds that are well characterized in phytochemical surveys of the species, Lebot, 1999, and pharmacologically linked to GABAergic modulation and mild muscle relaxation; these lipophilic constituents partition efficiently into the aqueous drink because fresh root preparation and brief boiling promote both dissolution and suspension, and the numbing sensation of the drink reflects their interaction with sensory nerves. Piperidine alkaloids such as pipermethystine occur at low levels and are more concentrated in the bark, reinforcing the practice of peeling, as reviewed by Lebot and Hooper, 2009. The drink’s bitterness and aroma arise from a small complement of terpenoids and other minor constituents, though the central pharmacology is kavalactone driven, not broad‑spectrum toxicity, Lebot, 1999.
Modern relevance: kava remains commercially available both as whole‑root preparations for home brewing and as standardized extracts used in clinical research on anxiety, with growing interest in solvent‑aware processing to maintain kavalactone profiles and minimize undesirable constituents, Sarris et al., 2013; in its original Pacific context, the beverage continues to be brewed and shared, its preparation and protocols shaped by local customs and the need to balance efficacy with safety.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Ornamental live supports and trellis materials for training vines; greenhouse and shade structures; landscape mulch from pruned biomass.
Industrial and craft applications:
Shade cloth or windbreak panels in greenhouse/ nursery contexts; mulch films and composting substrates for horticultural use; small-diameter poles used in rustic fencing and craft work; aromatic biomass for potpourri mixtures.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
None documented; no reported food or beverage uses.
Colorants and tanning:
None documented; no reported natural dye or tannin applications.
Wood and fiber:
None documented; no timber or fiber industries recorded.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
None documented; no commercial fragrance or cosmetic uses reported.
Properties relevant to use:
General horticultural attributes (rapid vegetative growth, climbing habit, evergreen foliage) enable training and mulching applications; slight aromatic qualities permit use in non-therapeutic potpourri. No specific chemical or physical property data (e.g., fiber strength, resin composition) have been reported for industrial processing.
Standards and regulation:
None applicable; no industry or regulatory standards reported for the species in the indicated product classes.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Propagation by cuttings and seed is widely used; cultivated in tropical and subtropical ornamental horticulture; no conservation or sustainability concerns are reported for horticultural trade of the species.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Jacaranda echinata | Spreng. | Syst. Veg. 2: 834 (1825) |
| Pyrostegia tubulosa | Bureau & K.Schum. | Fl. Bras. 8(2): 231 (1897) |
| Pyrostegia amabilis | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
| Pyrostegia dichotoma | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. iii. (1863) 188. |
| Pyrostegia ignea | C.Presl | Bot. Bemerk. : 93 (1844) |
| Pyrostegia ornata | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
| Pyrostegia pallida | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
| Pyrostegia parvifolia | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
| Pyrostegia puberula | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
| Pyrostegia reticulata | Miers | Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 3: 188 (1863) |
| Pyrostegia tecomiflora | (Rusby) K.Schum. ex Urb. | Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 34: 746 (1916) |
| Tecoma venusta | Lem. | Hort. Universel : 1 (1843) |
| Pyrostegia venusta var. villosa | (C.Presl) Hassl. | Bull. Herb. Boissier , sér. 2, 5: 84 (1905) |
| Tynanthus igneus | Barb.Rodr. | Vellosia , ed. 2, 1: 50 (1891) |
| Bignonia tecomiflora | Rusby | Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 6: 101 (1896) |
| Bignonia ignea | Vell. | Fl. Flumin. : 244 (1825 publ. 1829) |
| Bignonia tubulosa | Klotzsch | Reis. Br.-Guiana 3: 969 (1848) |
| Bignonia venusta | Ker Gawl. | Bot. Reg. 3: t. 249 (1801) |
| Pyrostegia venusta var. typica | Sprague | Bull. Herb. Boissier , sér. 2, 5: 84 (1905) |
| Pyrostegia dichotoma | Miers ex K.Schum. | Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(3b): 223 (1894) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | flamevine |
| Bengali | কমলা ঢাক লতা |
| French | liane de feu |
| French | liane aurore |
| Indonesian | jalaran api |
| Japanese | カエンカズラ |
| Malayalam | ജനുവരിമുല്ല |
| Malayalam | ജനുവരി മുല്ല |
| Marathi | संक्रांतवेल |
| Nepali | खुर्सानी फूल |
| Nepali | खोर्साने फूल |
| Portuguese | cipó-de-são-joão |
| Swedish | flamranka |
| Thai | พวงแสด |
| Tonga | talupite ulo |
| Chinese | 黄鳝藤 |
| Chinese | 炮仗藤 |
| Chinese | 炮仗花 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Ascension
- Saint Helena
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West Tropical Africa
- Gambia
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
-
Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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Mexico
-
Pacific click to expand
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North-central Pacific
- Hawaii
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Southwestern Pacific
- Vanuatu
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North-central Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
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Caribbean
- Dominican Republic
- Jamaica
- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Venezuelan Antilles
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Central America
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Panamá
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Northern South America
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Venezuela
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Paraguay
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Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000779272 |
| UNII | 20OV33U7C4 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 417 |
| USDA Plants | PYVE2 |
| Tropicos | 3700580 |
| INPN | 446999 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:110483-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-317830 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 737901 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 354045 |
| Nature Serve | 2.135604 |
| IPNI | 110483-1 |
| iNaturalist | 126634 |
| GBIF | 3172569 |
| Freebase | /m/0hrdfdh |
| EPPO | PYRVE |
| EOL | 578226 |
| USDA GRIN | 402034 |
| Wikipedia | Pyrostegia_venusta |
| CMAUP | NPO9180 |
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
Add a new one!
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 / o-Hydroxybenzoic acid esters | |||||
| Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-6-pentadecyl-, methyl ester | 10546625 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC1=C(C(=CC=C1)O)C(=O)OC | 362.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives | |||||
| Ethyl 3,4,5-Trimethoxybenzoate | 231162 | Click to see | 240.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives / Gallic acids | |||||
| Gallic Acid | 370 | Click to see | 170.12 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives / Galloyl esters | |||||
| Ethyl gallate | 13250 | Click to see CCOC(=O)C1=CC(=C(C(=C1)O)O)O | 198.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Salicylic acid and derivatives / Salicylic acids | |||||
| 2-Hydroxy-6-(8,11,14-pentadecatrienyl)benzoic acid | 5388781 | Click to see | 342.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 2-Hydroxy-6-(8Z,11Z)-8,11,14-pentadecatrien-1-ylbenzoic acid | 9875131 | Click to see | 342.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 2-hydroxy-6-[(8Z,11Z)-pentadeca-8,11-dien-1-yl]benzoic acid | 11824131 | Click to see CCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC1=C(C(=CC=C1)O)C(=O)O | 344.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Anacardic Acid | 167551 | Click to see | 348.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-6-(8,11-pentadecadienyl)- | 9833719 | Click to see | 344.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Ginkgolic acid | 5281858 | Click to see | 346.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Phenols / 1-hydroxy-4-unsubstituted benzenoids | |||||
| 3-Pentadecylphenol | 68146 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC1=CC(=CC=C1)O | 304.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Cardanol | 11266523 | Click to see C=CCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC1=CC(=CC=C1)O | 298.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Cardanol diene | 11098630 | Click to see CCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC1=CC(=CC=C1)O | 300.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Ginkgol | 5281854 | Click to see | 302.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Phenols / Benzenediols / Resorcinols | |||||
| 2-Methyl-5-(8Z,11Z)-8,11-pentadecadien-1-yl-1,3-benzenediol | 5319544 | Click to see | 330.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 2-methyl-5-(8Z,11Z)-8,11,14-pentadecatrienyl-1,3-benzenediol | 13732723 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)CCCCCCCC=CCC=CCC=C)O | 328.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 2-Methyl-5-(8Z)-8-pentadecen-1-yl-1,3-benzenediol | 6452209 | Click to see | 332.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 2-Methyl-5-pentadecylbenzene-1,3-diol | 177782 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC1=CC(=C(C(=C1)O)C)O | 334.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5-(8Z,11Z)-8,11-Pentadecadien-1-yl-1,3-benzenediol | 11702450 | Click to see | 316.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Bilobol | 5281852 | Click to see CCCCCCC=CCCCCCCCC1=CC(=CC(=C1)O)O | 318.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Cardol triene | 13259919 | Click to see C=CCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC1=CC(=CC(=C1)O)O | 314.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Biflavonoids and polyflavonoids | |||||
| Agathisflavone | 5281599 | Click to see | 538.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Robustaflavone | 5281694 | Click to see | 538.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones | |||||
| Naringenin | 439246 | Click to see | 272.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| Apigenin | 5280443 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 270.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Kaempferol | 5280863 | Click to see | 286.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Myricetin | 5281672 | Click to see C1=C(C=C(C(=C1O)O)O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 318.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| Quercitrin | 5280459 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2=C(OC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Rutin | 5280805 | Click to see | 610.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00985673 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Tannins / Hydrolyzable tannins | |||||
| Ellagic Acid | 5281855 | Click to see C1=C2C3=C(C(=C1O)O)OC(=O)C4=CC(=C(C(=C43)OC2=O)O)O | 302.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |