Strychnos NUX-VOMICA L.


Synonym : Strychnos nux-vomica var. oligosperma Dop
Strychnos spireana Dop
Bangla Name : Kuchila, Thalkessur.
English Name : Snake wood. Nux-vomica, Strychnine Tree.
Family : Loganiaceae
Disease : Fevers,epilepsy,dysentery,dyspepsia
Description : A small deciduous tree, up to 30 m high, often with short, sharp, strong, axillary spines. Leaves 7.5-15 cm long, broadly elliptic, acute, obtuse or shortly acuminate, glabrous, base usually rounded. Flowers numerous, in terminal, pedunculate, pubescent, compound cymes, corolla up to 1.3 cm long, greenish. Fruit globose, 2.5-7.5 cm across, shining, orange-red when ripe.
Distribution : Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong.
Chemical Constituents : All parts, particularly the seeds, contain mainly a large number of monomeric tertiary indole alkaloids. A dimeric tertiary alkaloid and a few quaternary alkaloids are present in the seed endosperm. Others include ?-colubrine, ?-colubrine, icajine, protos
Uses : Dried seeds are powerful poison in large doses and in small doses it is nervine tonic, stomachic, aphrodisiac and spinal stimulant, also respiratory and cardiac stimulant. Seeds are also used as an anodyne, emetic and purgative. It contains various toxic
Habit : Tree