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Other Local Name : 0
Botanical Name : Wrightia arborea
Family : Apocynaceae
Main Use : 0
Other Uses : 0
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Wrightia arborea (Dennst.) Mabb), syn: Wrightia tomentosa (Roxb.) R.& SA.
A small deciduous tree reaching 7.5-9 m high, with yellow milky latex; branchlets and leaves softly tomentose. Leaves distichous, elliptic or obovate, 7-12 cm long, acuminate, entire or obscurely serrulate, velvety tomentose on both sides. Flowers about 2.5 cm across, greenish white, turning pale yellow to dull purple, in many-flowered terminal corymbose cymes. Fruit 20-30 cm long, 2 connate follicles, with numerous lenticular elevated, white streaks.
Using information:
Leaves are used in toothache and fever. Roots are also used in fever. The latex of the plant is used to stop haemorrhage. Bark is antidysenteric; used in menstrual and renal complaints.
Chemical constituents:
An isoflavone, wrightiadione, has been isolated from this plant, which displays cytotoxic activity against leukaemia cells. It also contains the amoebicidal steroidal alkaloids, as those of Holarrhena antidysenterica, such as conessine, conessidine, kurchine, kurchicine, conkurchine and holarrhine. Strophanthus acid (9-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecanoic acid) occurs as the major component of the seed fat (Ghani, 2003).
Distribution:
Forests of Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Madhupur and Sylhet.
(see Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh)