''Uncaria'' is a
genus of
flowering plants in the
family Rubiaceae. It has about 40
species.
[''Uncaria'' At: World Checklist of Rubiaceae At: Kew Gardens Website. (see ''External links'' below).] Their
distribution Distribution may refer to:
Mathematics
*Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations
* Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...
is
pantropical, with most species
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to
tropical Asia, three from
Africa and the
Mediterranean and two from the
neotropics.
[David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. ] They are known
colloquially as gambier, cat's claw or uña de gato. The latter two names are shared with several other plants. The
type species for the genus is ''
Uncaria guianensis
''Uncaria guianensis'', the cat's claw, is a plant species in the genus ''Uncaria'' found in the Amazon biome. Other names for the plant include ''uña de gato'', ''Paraguayo'' and ''vincaria''.
''Uncaria guianensis'' contains many phytochemical ...
''.
[''Uncaria'' In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In: Regnum Vegetabile (see ''External links'' below).]
Indonesian Gambier (''
U. gambir'') is a large tropical vine with leaves typical of the genus, being
opposite and about long. The South American ''U. tomentosa'' is called Uña de Gato. ''
Uncaria sinensis
''Uncaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has about 40 species.''Uncaria'' At: World Checklist of Rubiaceae At: Kew Gardens Website. (see ''External links'' below). Their distribution is pantropical, with most speci ...
'' is common in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
''Uncaria'' was
named in 1789 by
Johann von Schreber in his ''Genera Plantarum'' edition 8
(not to be confused with books of the same title by
Linnaeus,
Jussieu, and others).
[''Uncaria'' in International Plant Names Index. (see ''External links'' below).][Johann Schreber. 1789. Gen. Pl., ed. 8 (Genera Plantarum Eorumque Characteres Naturales Secundum Numerum, Figuram, Situm, & Proportionem Omnium Fructificationis Partium. (Ed. 8 ). volume 1, page 125. Frankfurt am Main, Germany(see ''External links'' below).] The
genus name is
derived
Derive may refer to:
* Derive (computer algebra system), a commercial system made by Texas Instruments
* ''Dérive'' (magazine), an Austrian science magazine on urbanism
*Dérive, a psychogeographical concept
See also
*
*Derivation (disambiguatio ...
from the
Latin word ''uncus'', meaning "a hook".
[Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. ''CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names'' volume IV. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington, DC;, USA. London, UK. (set).] It refers to the hooks, formed from reduced branches, that ''Uncaria''
vines use to cling to other vegetation.
''Uncaria'' is a member of the
tribe Naucleeae
Naucleeae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 183 species in 24 genera. Species belonging to Naucleeae occur from Australasia, tropical Asia, Madagascar, tropical Africa, and to the Neotropics and North Amer ...
, but its
position
Position often refers to:
* Position (geometry), the spatial location (rather than orientation) of an entity
* Position, a job or occupation
Position may also refer to:
Games and recreation
* Position (poker), location relative to the dealer
* ...
within that tribe remains unresolved.
Description
Woody
lianas; climbing by hooks formed from reduced, modified branches.
Stipules
In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...
entire or bifid. Inflorescences are compact heads at the ends of horizontal, very reduced branches.
Corolla
Corolla may refer to:
*Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit
*Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name
* Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown
* ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...
lobes without appendages. Seeds with a long wing at each end, the lower wing deeply bifid.
Species
The following species list may be incomplete or contain
synonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
.
Uses
Diplomat
Edmund Roberts noted that, upon his visit to China in the 1830s, Chinese were using ''U. gambir'' for
tanning, and noted that the ''U. gambir'' made "leather porous and rotten." He also noted that Chinese would chew it with
areca nut.
The plant
extract
An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form.
The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...
contains some 150 identified
phytochemical
Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...
s, including
catechins,
proanthocyanins, and
chalcone
Chalcone is the organic compound C6H5C(O)CH=CHC6H5. It is an α,β-unsaturated ketone. A variety of important biological compounds are known collectively as chalcones or chalconoids.
Chemical properties
Chalcones have two absorption maxima a ...
-
flavan-3-ol dimer
Dimer may refer to:
* Dimer (chemistry), a chemical structure formed from two similar sub-units
** Protein dimer, a protein quaternary structure
** d-dimer
* Dimer model, an item in statistical mechanics, based on ''domino tiling''
* Julius Dimer ( ...
s, called gambiriins.
Cat's claw (''U. tomentosa'') and the Chinese ''Uncaria'' species are used in
traditional medicine, although there is no
high-quality clinical evidence they have any medicinal properties.
[
]
Adverse effects
Although cat's claw appears to be safe for human use below 350 milligrams per day over 6 weeks, its adverse effects may include nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach, and an increased risk of bleeding if used with an anticoagulant
Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where the ...
drug.[
]
References
External links
Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Uncaria''
Search ''Uncaria'', Royal Botanic Gardens, KewScience
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1989596
Rubiaceae genera
Medicinal plants
Pantropical flora