''Amphipterygium adstringens'', the cuachalalate is an ancient

medicinal plant Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection a ...

that has been commercially used in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

for centuries. Because of its ever-growing popularity and since the most sought after part of the plant is its bark, the cuachalalate was as of 2004 considered an endangered species. The ''Amphipterygium adstringens'' tree's height ranges from 4–8.5 m high. The distinguishing factor of this tree is its bark. Its bark is wrinkled, grayish in color and verrucose, with corky protuberances. Its branches are usually covered with scars of fallen leaves and may be bare or covered with fine hair-like structures. Its leave arrangements is imparipinnate with petioles that average 5.4 cm in length. It usually has 3-7 leaflets leaf. These leaflets have a cuneate base and an obtuse or rounded apex, its margin is dentate or crenate. ''A. adstringens'' can be differentiated from the other members of the ''Amphipterygium'' genus by the shape of its terminal leaflets, which is spathulate, and has dentate margins on the distal half of the leaflet.

Distribution

''Amphypterygium adstringens'' is distributed in central and southern Mexico in deciduous forests, near the mountain and pacific slope regions, in the southern center part of the State of

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal ...

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

Morelos Morelos (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 36 municipalities and its capital city is Cu ...

, Estado de Mexico,

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Guerrero, 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acap ...

and

Oaxaca ) , population_note = , population_rank = 10th , timezone1 = CST , utc_offset1 = −6 , timezone1_DST = CDT , utc_offset1_DST = −5 , postal_code_type = Postal ...

. This plant usually blooms in the summer, from June to August, and tends to fructify (produce fruits) from August to January.

Habitat and ecology

''Amphipterygium adstringens'' grows in hot temperatures in deciduous jungles or ''

Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ' ...

'' and ''

Ilex ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

'' forests.

Flowers and fruit

The male inflorescence is about 8.6 cm long. The male flower is actinomorphic. Its floral peduncle averages at .95 cm in length. There are 6-8 sepals on the flower all ranging from 1.2mm-2mm, these are tomentose (covered densely with hair at youngness), but at maturity they are pilose (the hair elongates and softens forming a plush surface). The stamen is short, with a filament averaging at only .28mm in length. The anthers, like the mature sepals, are also covered with long, fine hairs. The female inflorescence is in raceme about 1.3 cm in length. These generally contain 2-4 flowers. The pistils are bifurcate. The style is cylindrical and about 2–3 mm long. ''Amphipterygium adstringens'' is

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 reproducti ...

, with male and female flowers on separate individuals.

Medicinal

Cuachalalate is a legendary plant in Mexico believed to have curative effects. The most sought after part of the plant is its bark. This bark is believed to cure malaria, stomach cancer, gastric ulcers and kidney sicknesses. Many people in Mexico also tend to use the Cuachalalate to harden their gums.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1960736 Anacardiaceae Flora of Mexico Dioecious plants