''Clerodendrum umbellatum'' is a scandent African shrub of the family
Lamiaceae, but previously placed in
Verbenaceae
The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.
The ...
. It is found in
Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic realm of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with hot moist climates, which are caused by latitude and the trop ...
,
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
and
Tropical Asia
Tropical Asia refers to the entirety of the areas in Asia with a tropical climate. These areas are of geographic and economic importance due to their natural resources and biodiversity, which include many species of agricultural value. There are ...
, its distribution being to some extent
anthropogenic, and is often planted for its showy flowers. The genus ''
Clerodendrum
''Clerodendrum'' is a genus of flowering plants formerly placed in the family Verbenaceae, but now considered to belong to the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Its common names include glorybower, bagflower and bleeding-heart. It is currently classified ...
'' is large with more than 300 species currently accepted.
This climber, first described in 1804 by
Jean Louis Marie Poiret
Jean Louis Marie Poiret (11 June 1755 in Saint-Quentin7 April 1834 in Paris) was a French clergyman, botanist, and explorer.
From 1785 to 1786, he was sent by Louis XVI to Algeria to study the flora. After the French Revolution, he became a ...
, has slender, finely pubescent branches. Leaves are oblong to ovate-elliptic, with entire margins, an acute apex, and subcordate base; petiole is from 2–8 cm in length. Inflorescence of umbellate cymes is terminal and many-flowered. The fragrant flowers may be red or white, with a pink or red tinge to the centre. Calyx cup-shaped, with 5 lobes; corolla-tube puberulous, also 5-lobed. Drupe bluish-black, enclosed by a red calyx, and splitting into 4
pyrenes
Pyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) consisting of four fused benzene rings, resulting in a flat aromatic system. The chemical formula is . This yellow solid is the smallest peri-fused PAH (one where the rings are fused through mor ...
when mature.
Medicinal
The species has been used traditionally in some Central African countries for treating several diseases including intestinal
helminthiasis
Helminthiasis, also known as worm infection, is any macroparasitic disease of humans and other animals in which a part of the body is infected with parasitic worms, known as helminths. There are numerous species of these parasites, which are br ...
. An extract of its bitter leaves is effective against ''
Schistosoma mansoni''. The leaf and its sap are used as pain-killers, while the roots are taken for stomach ailments. Extracts of the leaves are employed as
abortifacients
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, ...
,
ecbolics and for curing venereal diseases. It is also used to treat dropsy, swellings, oedema and gout, and as an antidote for venomous stings and bites. In
Northern Uganda
The Northern Region is one of four regions in the country of Uganda. As of Uganda's 2014 census, the region's population was .
Districts
As of 2010, the Northern Region had 30 districts
A district is a type of administrative division th ...
a study found this species to be the most frequently used medicinal plant.
References
External links
West African Plants
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15350063
umbellatum