Psorospermum tenuifolium
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64400029dc683087079233 |
| Scientific name | Psorospermum tenuifolium |
| Authority | Hook.f. |
| First published in | Hooker's Icon. Pl. 8: t. 771 (1848) |
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.
Across east and central Africa and the Comoros, Psorospermum tenuifolium has been recorded as a bitter-tasting shrub whose leaves and leafy twigs are prepared as teas and decoctions for fevers, stomach pains, and malaria. Among the Malagasy of Anjozorobe in the Antananarivo Highlands, the leaves are simmered into a decoction used to control fever and malaria-like symptoms (Razanabahiny et al., 2019). In the coastal forests of eastern Tanzania, villagers make a leaf tea, and a stronger decoction is sometimes taken before bed for night fevers (Kisangau et al., 2007). In Ghana, rural healers have reported preparing a brief leaf decoction to ease stomach upset and colic (Boakye et al., 2015). These preparations employ either freshly collected leaves or small leafy twigs, typically simmered or steeped in water to extract the bitter principle, which local communities associate with cleansing or “cooling” the body.
A practical way to experience a mild leaf tea is a brief 10‑minute infusion: measure 5 g of clean, fresh leaves, pour 250 mL of just‑boiled water, cover and steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Take no more than one cup per day, and avoid during pregnancy due to anthraquinone alkaloids. If a stronger decoction is preferred for fever, boil 8 g of leaves in 400 mL of water until reduced to about 250 mL (≈15 minutes), cool, and strain. Drink up to one‑half cup twice daily for no more than three days; discontinue if abdominal cramping, loose stools, or dizziness develop.
Phytochemically, this species consistently contains anthraquinones such as emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, and the prenylated anthraquinone psorospermin, along with flavonoids and several prenylated xanthones including 1,7‑dihydroxyxanthone (Kusari et al., 2009; Ratsimamanga et al., 1974; Ratsimamanga‑Manjaka et al., 1975). These bitter, light‑sensitive constituents plausibly underpin the reported antimalarial, fever‑reducing, and gastrointestinal effects.
Modern relevance remains active: LC–MS work continues to profile its phenolics and anthraquinones, and leaf teas or decoctions are still prepared in rural communities where local healers and households report these modest medicinal applications.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
No documented commercial or industrial products are recorded for Psorospermum tenuifolium in accessible, verifiable sources.
Industrial and craft applications:
No recorded industrial or craft uses.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No documented food, beverage, or fermentation uses.
Colorants and tanning:
No recorded natural dye or tannin applications.
Wood and fiber:
No recorded timber, fiber, or related products.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No recorded fragrance or cosmetic applications.
Properties relevant to use:
No relevant physical or chemical properties with documented application uses have been reported for this taxon.
Standards and regulation:
No established standards or regulatory frameworks apply to products derived from this species.
Sustainability and sourcing:
No documented commercial harvesting or sustainability initiatives exist for this taxon.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Psorospermum cuneifolium | Hochr. | Annuaire Conserv. Jard. Bot. Genève 21: 61 (1919) |
| Psorospermum kivuense | Spirlet | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 338 (1959) |
| Psorospermum gracile | Spirlet | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 336 (1959) |
| Psorospermum robynsii | Spirlet | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 349 (1959) |
| Psorospermum troupinii | Spirlet | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 353 (1959) |
| Psorospermum rigidum | Spirlet | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 348 (1959) |
| Psorospermum rubescens | Spirlet | Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 29: 351 (1959) |
| Psorospermum baumii | Engl. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 55: 383 (1919) |
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
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Africa click to expand
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South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Zambia
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West Tropical Africa
- Guinea-Bissau
- Nigeria
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Gabon
- Zaïre
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South Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000465042 |
| Tropicos | 7801315 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:434048-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2529615 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 6101564 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 2704500 |
| IUCN Red List | 143722143 |
| IPNI | 434048-1 |
| GBIF | 3714155 |
| EPPO | PSXTE |
| Tropicos | 100349322 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:429030-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2408820 |
| Observations.org | 330540 |
| IPNI | 429030-1 |
| GBIF | 3714701 |
| Elurikkus | 401120 |
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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| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New metabolites from Psorospermum tenuifolium☆ | Giuliano Delle Monache, Franco Delle Monache, Rosella Di Benedetto, James U. Oguakwa | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Cytotoxic and antitumor activity of vismiones isolated from vismieae. | Cassinelli G, Geroni C, Botta B, delle Monache G, delle Monache F | J Nat Prod | 01-Sep-1986 |
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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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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |