''Chiranthodendron'' is a
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
in the family
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...
. It comprises a single species of tree, ''Chiranthodendron pentadactylon''.
Names
The tree is called the devil's, monkey's or Mexican hand tree or the hand-flower in English, the árbol de las manitas (''tree of little hands'') in Spanish, and mācpalxōchitl
[Emory Dean Keoke, Kay Marie Porterfield, ''Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World'' (2002), page 118: "For lower abdominal pain, the patient would be prescribed ''macpalxochitl'' (''Chiranthodendron'')"] (''
palm
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm (ba ...
flower'') in
Nahuatl
Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...
, all on account of its distinctive red flowers, which resemble open human
hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "h ...
s. The scientific name means "five-fingered hand-flower tree".
Description
This species is native to Guatemala and southern Mexico.
On the wet slopes of these areas, trees may reach in height.
The unusual appearance of the 'hands' has stimulated cultivation in gardens around the world, primarily in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
where it grows well near its native range. The leaves are large and shallowly lobed, with a brown
indumentum
In biology, an indumentum (Latin, literally: "garment") is a covering of trichomes (fine "hairs") on a plant Davis, Peter Hadland and Heywood, Vernon Hilton (1963) ''Principles of angiosperm taxonomy'' Van Nostrandpage, Princeton, New Jersey, pa ...
on the underside. The distinctive flowers appear in late spring and early summer; the five stamens are long, curved upward, and bright red, giving the distinct impression of a clawed hand. Its fruit is a long oblong, five-lobed capsule which contains black seeds.
It was originally described from a single cultivated specimen grown in
Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
in the
Toluca Valley
The Toluca Valley is a valley in central Mexico, just west of the Valley of Mexico (Mexico City), the old name was Matlatzinco. The valley runs north–south for about , surrounded by mountains, the most imposing of which is the Nevado de Toluca Vo ...
, well outside the native range. The
Aztecs
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
revered the tree.
Intergeneric hybrid
It is closely related to ''
Fremontodendron
''Fremontodendron'', with the common names fremontia and flannelbush or flannel bush, is a genus of three known species of shrubs native to the Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico.
Taxonomy
They are within the botanical family Malv ...
'', sufficiently to produce an
intergeneric hybrid
In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...
×''Chiranthofremontia lenzii'' n, which has yellow flowers and a reduced form of the claw.
Uses
The Aztecs and others have used
solution
Solution may refer to:
* Solution (chemistry), a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another
* Solution (equation), in mathematics
** Numerical solution, in numerical analysis, approximate solutions within specified error bounds
* Soluti ...
s containing the tree's flowers as a remedy for lower abdominal pain
and for heart problems.
[Journal of Ethnobiology, published by the Center for Western Studies (Flagstaff, Arizona), volume 3 (1983): "Flor de manita" (''Chiranthodendron pentadactylon'' Larr.), a highly prized and effective heart remedy, is available fresh during the winter months.][Nina L. Etkin, ''Eating on the Wild Side: The Pharmacologic, Ecologic and Social Implications of Using Noncultigens'' (2000), page 26: The Aztec also used the blossoms of the hand-flower tree (''Chiranthodendron pentadactylon'') as a blood or heart tonic. ..water-based solutions of the flowers reduce edema and serum cholesterol levels (Jiu 1966). he tree...also acts as a diuretic (due to the glycosides quercetin and luteolin) and, when ingested regularly as a decocted beverage, is most likely effective in treating cardiopulmonary insufficiency (Logan 1981).] Such solutions also reduce
edema
Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...
and serum
cholesterol
Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...
levels and, because they contain the
glycoside
In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...
s
quercetin
Quercetin is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains; capers, red onions, and kale are common foods containing appreciable amounts of it. It has a bitter flavor a ...
and
luteolin
Luteolin is a flavone, a type of flavonoid, with a yellow crystalline appearance.
Luteolin is the principal yellow dye compound that is obtained from the plant ''Reseda luteola'', which has been used as a source of the dye since at least the fir ...
, act as
diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...
s.
References
Malvaceae info page
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5766708, from2=Q138333
Bombacoideae
Malvaceae genera
Monotypic Malvales genera
Flora of Mexico
Flora of Guatemala
Ornamental trees
Garden plants of North America