Strychnos

(botany) A genus of tropical trees and shrubs of the order Loganiaceae.

A genus of tropical trees and shrubs belonging to the Logania family (Loganiaceae). Strychnos nux-vomica, a native of India and Ceylon, is the source of strychnine. The alkaloid, strychnine, has been used medicinally in the treatment of certain nervous disorders and paralysis. Curare, used by the Indians to poison arrows, is obtained from S. toxifera and S. castelnaei in Guiana and Amazonas and from S. tieute in the Sunda Islands. Curare paralyzes the motor nerve endings in striated muscles and is used in medical practice in cases in which a state of extreme muscular relaxation or even immobility is desirable. It has become an important drug in the field of anesthesiology. See also Gentianales; Strychnine alkaloids.

A genus of tropical plant species in the family Loganiaceae; they contain strychnine or strychnine-like alkaloids including brucine, strychninine and lucidine and are therefore potentially poisonous. Includes S. lucida, S. nux-vomica, S. psilospermia, S. toxifera (a source of curare).

Strychnos
Strychnos toxifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Loganiaceae
Genus:	Strychnos L.
Species
about 190

Strychnos is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to family Loganiaceae (sometimes Strychnaceae). The genus includes about 190 species of trees and lianas, distributed around the world's tropics.

• The Strychnine tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, native to tropical Asia, is the source of the poison strychnine.

• Strychnos ignatia ("St. Ignatius bean"), is a closely related Asian shrub/tree.

• The species Strychnos toxifera is one of the 2 plant sources of the poison curare.

• Another notable species are Strychnos spinosa (Lam.), commonly known as the Natal orange and Strychnos pungens, from Southern Africa; which are drought-tolerant and produce edible fruits.

• The ripe seeds of Strychnos potatorum,[1][2], known as Therran or Nirmal,[3] can be ground and used as a coagulant to purify water; or they may be rubbed against the inside walls of the earthenware water containers.

External links

• Home water treatment by direct filtration with natural coagulant, by Babu R, Chaudhuri M.

Strychnos psilosperma foliage and fruit.

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