''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family,

Passifloraceae The Passifloraceae are a family of flowering plants, containing about 750 species classified in around 27 genera. They include trees, shrubs, lianas, and climbing plants, and are mostly found in tropical regions. The family takes its name from t ...

. It is distributed in the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

tropics and

subtropics The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...

.''Adenia''.
Flora of China. The

centers of diversity A center of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. They are also considered centers of diversity. Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 by Ni ...

are in Madagascar, eastern and western tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. The genus name ''Adenia'' comes from "aden", reported as the Arabic name for the plant by Peter Forsskål, the author of the genus.

Description

All ''Adenia'' are perennial plants, but there are many different forms, including herbs, vines,

liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s, and trees. Many are succulents and some are

pachycaul Pachycauls are plants with a disproportionately thick Trunk (botany), trunk for their height, and few branches. This can be the product of exceptional primary growth (as with Arecaceae, palms and cycads) or disproportioate secondary growth as with ...

s. Some have fibrous root systems and some have tubers. ''Adenia'' can be found in a wide variety of habitat types, from dry African

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

s to wet Southeast Asian

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

s. There are some 100 species in the genus. ''Adenia'' have alternately arranged leaves borne on petioles. There are two glands located near the attachment of the blade to the petiole. Most species are

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

. Inflorescences of a few to many flowers occur in the leaf axils. There is a stipe below the flower. The calyx of sepals around the base of the flower has five lobes. The five

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are usually smaller than the sepals and may be whitish or greenish. The male flower has five

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s. In the female flower these are reduced to

staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...

s. There are three styles tipped with stigmas that may be long-hairy to very woolly. The fruit is a red capsule. Each black seed has a fleshy

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

. ''Adenia'' species can be difficult to identify and distinguish. Individuals of a species can be variable. One plant can have leaves of varying shapes and sizes, and young and old specimens can have different leaf types. Some taxa are poorly represented in

herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...

collections, leaving few examples to compare with new specimens. Records of some taxa lack descriptions of both flower types. Many species only flower for a few weeks, and during this time they may also lose their leaves. Succulent plants can be difficult to properly collect and preserve.

Uses

Several species are used in traditional African medicine. Various parts of ''A. cissampeloides'' are used to treat many conditions, including gastrointestinal problems, inflammation,

pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...

, fever, malaria, leprosy,

scabies Scabies (; also sometimes known as the seven-year itch) is a contagious skin infestation by the mite ''Sarcoptes scabiei''. The most common symptoms are severe itchiness and a pimple-like rash. Occasionally, tiny burrows may appear on the skin ...

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

, anemia, bronchitis, sexually transmitted diseases,

menorrhagia Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), previously known as menorrhagia or hypermenorrhea, is a menstrual period with excessively heavy flow. It is a type of abnormal uterine bleeding Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), also known as (AVB) or as atypical ...

, and

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

.Grace, O. M. and D. Fowler. 2007
''Adenia cissampeloides'' (Planch. ex Hook.) Harms.
In: Schmelzer, G. H. and A. Gurib-Fakim (Eds.) Prota 11(1): Medicinal Plants/''Plantes médicinales'' 1. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. It is used both as an

abortifacient An abortifacient ("that which will cause a miscarriage" from Latin: ''abortus'' "miscarriage" and '' faciens'' "making") is a substance that induces abortion. This is a nonspecific term which may refer to any number of substances or medications, ...

and to prevent

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...

. ''A. dinklagei'' leaves are ingested to treat palpitations. The leaves of ''A. tricostata'' are used to treat fever. The leaves or leaf sap of ''A. bequaertii'' are taken to treat

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

, mental illness, and

possession Possession may refer to: Law * Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance * Drug possession, a crime * Ownership * ...

. ''A. lobata'' stems are applied to sites of

Guinea worm infection Dracunculiasis, also called Guinea-worm disease, is a parasitic infection by the Guinea worm, ''Dracunculus medinensis''. A person becomes infected by drinking water containing water fleas infected with guinea worm larvae. The worms penetrate ...

during extraction of the worm. It is also used as an enema and an aphrodisiac.Zimudzi, C. 2007
''Adenia lobata'' (Jacq.) Engl.
In: Schmelzer, G. H. and A. Gurib-Fakim (Eds.) Prota 11(1): Medicinal Plants/''Plantes médicinales'' 1. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. ''A. cissampeloides'' is used as a fish poison and arrow poison. The red-colored sap is used as a

cosmetic Cosmetic may refer to: *Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning *Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body *Cosmetic, a t ...

. The stems can be made into rope. The crushed twigs or smoke from burning roots can be used to calm honeybees during

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

harvest. The leaves of ''A. cissampeloides'' are eaten as a vegetable in parts of Africa. ''A. digitata'' is cultivated as an ornamental plant for its very large, distinctive aboveground tuber.de Ruijter, A. 2007
''Adenia digitata'' (Harv.) Engl.
In: Schmelzer, G. H. and A. Gurib-Fakim (Eds.) Prota 11(1): Medicinal Plants/''Plantes médicinales'' 1. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands.

Toxicity

Many ''Adenia'' are poisonous. They contain

lectin Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups that are part of other molecules, so cause agglutination of particular cells or precipitation of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides. Lectins have a role in rec ...

s such as lanceolin, stenodactylin, and volkensin, which are toxic to cells. They cause

apoptosis Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...

, hemagglutination, inhibition of protein synthesis, and depurination of

ribosome Ribosomes ( ) are macromolecular machines, found within all cells, that perform biological protein synthesis (mRNA translation). Ribosomes link amino acids together in the order specified by the codons of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules to ...

s and DNA. Mouse experiments with small doses of lanceolin and stenodactylin, from ''A. lanceolata'' and ''A. stenodactyla'', respectively, revealed that they are "amongst the most potent toxins of plant origin". The fruit of ''A. digitata'' has been used in Africa to commit

homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

and

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

Diversity

There are approximately 100 species in the genus. Species include: * ''

Adenia aculeata ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' Engl. * ''

Adenia acuta ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia boivinii ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * '' Adenia cardiophylla'' * ''

Adenia cissampeloides ''Adenia cissampeloides'' is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is native to tropical Africa. Description ''Adenia cissampeloides'' is a woody vine that can reach up to in length. The stems are pale gre ...

'' (Planch. ex Hook.) Harms – monkey rope, snake climber, wild granadilla * ''

Adenia cladosepala ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' (Baker) Harms * ''

Adenia densiflora ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * '' Adenia digitata'' Engl. * ''

Adenia ellenbeckii ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' Harms * ''

Adenia firingalavense ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' (Drake ex Jum.) Harms * '' Adenia formosana'' Hayata * ''

Adenia fruticosa ''Adenia fruticosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is native to southern Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At abou ...

Burtt Davy Joseph Burtt Davy (7 March 1870 Findern, Derbyshire – 20 August 1940 Birmingham) was a Quaker botanist and agrostologist. He was the first curator of the Forest Herbarium (FHO) at the Imperial Forestry Institute when it was founded in 1924 u ...

* ''

Adenia glauca ''Adenia glauca'' is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is native to southern Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 3 ...

'' Schinz * ''

Adenia globosa ''Adenia globosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is native to tropical Africa, where it occurs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. It is known as in Swahili.de Ruijter, A. 2007''Ade ...

'' Engl. * '' Adenia goetzii'' * ''

Adenia gummifera ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia heterophylla ''Adenia heterophylla'', commonly known in Australia as the lacewing vine, is a climbing plant in the family Passifloraceae. It has a broad distribution spanning the equator, from the south eastern corner of China, through Indochina and Malesia ...

'' The Australasian Virtual Herbarium * '' Adenia hondala'' (Gaertn.) W.J.de Wilde * '' Adenia huillensis'' * '' Adenia karibaensis'' * ''

Adenia keramanthus ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' Harms * ''

Adenia kigogoensis ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * '' Adenia kirkii'' * '' Adenia lanceolata'' * ''

Adenia litoralis ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia lobata ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' (Jacq.) Engl. * ''

Adenia macrophylla ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia mcdadiana ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia metamorpha ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia olaboensis ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' Claverie * ''

Adenia pachyphylla ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * '' Adenia pechuelii'' Harms * '' Adenia penangiana'' * ''

Adenia pyromorpha ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * '' Adenia racemosa'' * '' Adenia repanda'' * '' Adenia rumicifolia'' * '' Adenia spinosa'' Burtt Davy * '' Adenia stenodactyla'' * ''

Adenia stylosa ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' * ''

Adenia subsessilifolia ''Adenia subsessilifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae, described by Joseph Marie Henry Alfred Perrier de la Bâthie. ''Adenia subsessilifolia'' is endemic to southern Madagascar. No subspecies are ...

'' H.Perrier * ''

Adenia venenata ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' Forssk. – akerbia * ''

Adenia volkensii ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

'' Harms – kiliambiti * ''

Adenia wightiana ''Adenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics.

Description

Uses

Toxicity

Diversity

References

Further reading