Krameria lappacea
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440472d9eced319953924 |
| Scientific name | Krameria lappacea |
| Authority | (Dombey) Burdet & B.B.Simpson |
| First published in | Candollea 38: 96 (1983) |
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.
Krameria lappacea has a well-documented place in Andean traditional medicine as an astringent and oral antiseptic. Among healers in the Bolivian Andes, the dried roots are routinely simmered as a decoction and used as a mouthrinse to firm gums and relieve gingival irritation, and an infusion is taken in small sips to ease stomach complaints according to ethnobotanical surveys (Betti, 1992). In adjacent parts of Peru and Argentina, herbalists similarly prepare a short boil of chopped roots for gargling and as a wound wash, while powdered root bark is sometimes applied as a poultice to bleeding gums or minor abrasions, a practice reflected in regional ethnomedicine compendia and the Andean tradition as summarized by Schilcher and Imminger (1992). In Southern European folk pharmacopoeias that draw on Andean materia medica, a 10–20‑minute decoction of chopped roots is described for mouth care and diarrhea, with additional mention of the powdered bark used topically as a styptic (EMA Assessment Report, 2012).
For modern practice, a convenient and gentle preparation is a simple tea or decoction: place 3–4 g of chopped dried roots in a cup of water, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10–12 minutes, then strain and cool to room temperature. Use as a mouthrinse or small cup of tea two to three times daily for up to two weeks. As a more concentrated rinse or remedy for sore throats, a 1:5 ethanol tincture can be made by macerating 20 g of ground dried roots with 100 mL of 45% ethanol for two weeks, shaking daily, then straining. The finished tincture is diluted with water (roughly 1 part tincture to 3 parts water) before use as a rinse or taken by drops under professional guidance. Always keep preparations for oral use and short courses only; the plant contains tannins and the neolignan neotenone, which are more likely to be irritant or unsafe in pregnancy, lactation, or in children, and large oral doses are not advised (WHO, 1999; EMA Assessment Report, 2012).
The activity of Krameria lappacea aligns with its chemistry. The roots and bark are notably rich in condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) with high polymeric procyanidins, along with phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid; these astringent constituents and their antioxidant capacity plausibly account for the gum‑tightening and antimicrobial effects reported in traditional rinses (Schilcher & Imminger, 1992; WHO, 1999).
Today, rhatany continues to appear in contemporary herbal mouthwash blends alongside sage, myrrh, and thyme, and the dried roots and tinctures are available through established European herbal suppliers, reflecting both ongoing traditional use and an evidence‑informed interest in oral care.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
The root (including the inner bark) yields a vegetable tannin extract, typically sold as a dry, ground, or spray-dried product. It is used as a tanning agent for leather and as a brown dye for protein fibers.
Colorants and tanning:
Leather: The extract produces vegetable-tanned leather in warm brown–chestnut shades and contributes good dye uptake in subsequent finishing. Textile dyeing: It yields natural brown dyes for wool and other protein fibers. The color derives from high-molecular-weight condensed tannins; mordants are employed to improve fastness.
Properties relevant to use:
High tannin content, generally reported in the range of roughly 12–20% in dried root/bark material. The tannins are primarily condensed (proanthocyanidin) type, which produce brown hues and impart high tanning efficiency via cross-linking with collagen. Extracts are acidic (commonly around pH 3–5 in aqueous solution), aiding penetration and fixation. The material is soluble in water and compatible with leather-tanning baths and textile dyeing systems.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Roots are collected from wild-growing plants in Andean countries (e.g., Peru, Bolivia). Commercial supply is seasonal and capacity-limited due to reliance on wild-harvested material; conservation-oriented harvesting protocols are applied to sustain populations.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Krameria illuca | Phil. | Fl. Atacam. : 9 (1860) |
| Krameria pentapetala | Ruiz & Pav. | Fl. Peruv. 1: 62 (1798) |
| Krameria triandra | Ruiz & Pav. | Fl. Peruv. 1: 61 (1798) |
| Krameria triandra var. humboldtiana | Chodat | Biblioth. Universelle Rev. Suisse , sér. 3, 24: 498 (1890) |
| Krameria canescens | Willd. | Mant. 3: 303 (1827) |
| Landia lappacea | Dombey | J. Sçavans (Paris, 4) 1784(1): 382. [Jan 1784] |
| Krameria linearis | Poir. | Encycl. , Suppl. 3: 226 (1813) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Spanish | ratania |
| Spanish | mapato |
| Spanish | pumacuchu |
| Spanish | raiz para los dientes |
| Spanish | raíz para los dientes |
| Spanish | ratania de payta |
| Spanish | ratania del peru |
| Spanish | ratania del perú |
| Arabic | رطن عقدي |
| German | ratanhia |
| Finnish | punaratania |
| French | ratanhia |
| Hebrew | רתניה פרואנית |
| Quechua | pachalluq'i |
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
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Southern South America
- Argentina Northwest
- Chile Central
- Chile North
-
Western South America
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Peru
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Southern South America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001069555 |
| UNII | 97AC37R8BM |
| Tropicos | 17200083 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:912741-1 |
| The Plant List | tro-17200083 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 946864 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 228636 |
| IPNI | 912741-1 |
| iNaturalist | 704668 |
| GBIF | 5687593 |
| Freebase | /m/09rw15x |
| EOL | 5491877 |
| USDA GRIN | 402605 |
| Wikipedia | Krameria_lappacea |
| CMAUP | NPO15400 |
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 / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives / Gallic acid and derivatives | |||||
| 3-O-Methylgallic acid | 19829 | Click to see | 184.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans / Tetrahydrofuran lignans / 7,7-epoxylignans | |||||
| (-)-Larreatricin | 26389403 | Click to see | 284.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 4-[5-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dimethyloxolan-2-yl]phenol | 14213222 | Click to see | 284.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| Meso-3,3'-Didemethoxynectandrin B | 14213224 | Click to see CC1C(C(OC1C2=CC=C(C=C2)O)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O)C | 284.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / 2-arylbenzofuran flavonoids | |||||
| (E)-4-[3-Methyl-5-(1-propen-1-yl)-2-benzofuryl]phenol | 3001232 | Click to see CC=CC1=CC2=C(C=C1)OC(=C2C)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O | 264.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 1,3-Benzenediol, 4-[5-(1-propenyl)-2-benzofuranyl]-, (E)- | 54300595 | Click to see CC=CC1=CC2=C(C=C1)OC(=C2)C3=C(C=C(C=C3)O)O | 266.29 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 2-(2-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)benzofuran | 14213211 | Click to see | 298.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 2-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5-(E)-Propenylbenzofuran | 10355545 | Click to see | 266.29 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(E)-propenylbenzofuran | 53483951 | Click to see CC=CC1=CC2=C(C=C1)OC(=C2)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O | 250.29 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]-1-benzofuran | 91991396 | Click to see | 264.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 2-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-5-prop-1-enyl-1-benzofuran | 129650689 | Click to see | 264.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 4-(3-Methyl-5-prop-1-enyl-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl)phenol | 70414118 | Click to see CC=CC1=CC2=C(C=C1)OC(C2C)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O | 266.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 4-(5-(3-Hydroxypropyl)-1-Benzofuran-2-Yl)-3-Methoxyphenol | 14213209 | Click to see | 298.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 4-(5-Prop-1-enyl-1-benzofuran-2-yl)phenol | 76044967 | Click to see | 250.29 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 4-[(2S,3R)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-5-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl]phenol | 71460125 | Click to see | 282.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 4-[(2S,3R)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-5-prop-1-enyl-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl]phenol | 162896019 | Click to see | 282.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| 5-Methoxy-2-(5-prop-1-enyl-1-benzofuran-2-yl)phenol | 157488 | Click to see | 280.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| Conocarpan | 10999992 | Click to see | 266.30 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.198913315 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| Eupomatenoid 6 | 6261723 | Click to see | 264.30 | unknown |
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.198913315 |
| Rataniaphenol I | 6440631 | Click to see | 280.30 | unknown |
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.198913315 |
| Rataniaphenol Iii | 14213215 | Click to see CC=CC1=CC2=C(C=C1)OC(=C2)C3=C(C=C(C=C3)O)OC | 280.30 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162300/ |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Kaempferol | 5280863 | Click to see | 286.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| Isoquercetin | 5280804 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| kaempferol 3-O-beta-L-glucopyranoside | 9911508 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |