Senna reticulata, the mangerioba grande or maria mole in Portuguese, is a pioneer tree species found on highly fertile floodplains in South America. It has some medicinal uses, but is regarded by farmers as a noxious weed, named matapasto (meadow killer) due to its ability to grow fast and outshade neighbouring plants.
| Senna reticulata | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Genus: | Senna |
| Species: | S. reticulata
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| Binomial name | |
| Senna reticulata | |
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Uses
editIt is used in the local folk medicine for liver problems and rheumatism. 1,3,8-Trihydroxyanthraquinone is an organic compound found in alcoholic extracts of the wood of the plant. The extract also contains, among other products chrysophanol (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone), physcion (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-6-methoxyanthraquinone), aloe-emodin (3-carbinol-1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone), lunatin (3-methoxy-1,6,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone), emodin (6-methyl-1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone), and chrysophanol-10,10'-bianthrone.[2] The xanthonoid cassiaxanthone[3] can be found in S. reticulata as well as the anthraquinone rhein.[4]
Growth
editSenna reticulata has a "unique capacity to colonize open areas". It is extremely flood tolerant, fast growing and is difficult to eradicate, the recommended method being to cut it at the base, burn the stump and then flood the roots.[5]
References
edit- ^ Senna reticulata, a pioneer tree from Amazonian várzea floodplains. Pia Parolin, The Botanical Review, Volume 67, Number 2, 239-254, doi:10.1007/BF02858077
- ^ Santos Rogério Nunes dos, Silva Maria Goretti de Vasconcelos and Braz Fihlo Raimundo (2008). Constituintes químicos do caule de Senna reticulata Willd. (Leguminoseae) ("Chemical constituents isolated from the wood of Senna reticulata Willd") Química Nova [online], volume 31 issue 8, pages 1979-1981 (in Portuguese). doi:10.1590/S0100-40422008000800011 "It is the first report of 1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone and 3-methoxy-1,6,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone in higher plants."
- ^ Cassiaxanthone, a hydroxyxanthone dicarboxylic acid from Cassia species. M. S. R. Nair, T. C. McMorris and Marjorie Anchel, Phytochemistry, Volume 9, Issue 5, May 1970, Pages 1153-1155, doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85246-2
- ^ Identification of the antibiotic substance from Cassia reticulata as 4,5-Dihydroxyanthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid. Marjorie Anchel, 1948
- ^ Parolin, Pia (2001). "Senna reticulata, a pioneer tree from Amazonian várzea floodplains". The Botanical Review. 67 (2): 239–254. doi:10.1007/BF02858077.