Strychnos is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the familyLoganiaceae (sometimes Strychnaceae). The genus includes about 200 accepted species of trees and lianas.[1] The genus is widely distributed around the world's tropics and is noted for the presence of poisonous indole alkaloids in the roots, stems and leaves of various species. Among these alkaloids are the well-known and deadly poisons strychnine and curare.
Etymology
The name strychnos was applied by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History to Solanum nigrum. The word is derived from the Ancient Greekστρύχνον (strúkhnon) – "acrid", "bitter". The meaning of the word strychnos was not fixed in Ancient Greece, where it could designate a variety of different plants having in common the property of toxicity.[2]
The genus is divided into 12 sections, though it is conceded that the sections do not reflect evolution of the genus, and all sections except Spinosae are polyphyletic:[3]
Two very well preserved fossilised corollas with stamens and styles from flowers of a plant that has been named Strychnos electri (the Latin name of amber is electrum), believed to be a vine, were discovered in amber from the Dominican Republic. The amber is from tropical tree Hymenaea protera, formerly abundant but now extinct, which formed part of the forest canopy. The age of the amber is believed to be between 15 and 45 million years, from the mid-Tertiary period. This demonstrates an early date for these plants.[8][9]
↑Umberto Quattrocchi, CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms. Synonyms, and Etymology, vol. 4, CRC Press, 1999, ISBN978-0-8493-2678-3 p. 2589.
↑Aguilar, Javier Fuertes (2003). "Phylogenetic Relationships and Classification of the Sida Generic Alliance (Malvaceae) Based on nrDNA ITS Evidence". Systematic Botany. 28 (2): 352–364. JSTOR3094004.
↑"Strychnos tonga Gilg". Plants of the World Online (POWO). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
Babu, R.; Chaudhuri, M. (2005年3月). 「天然凝集剤を用いた直接ろ過による家庭用水処理」(PDF) . Journal of Water and Health . 3 (1): 27– 30. Bibcode : 2005JWH.....3...27B . doi : 10.2166/wh.2005.0003 . PMID 15952450 .
