Adenia

Adenia
Adenia
Adenia pechuelii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Passifloraceae
Genus: Adenia
Forssk.
Species

See text.
Synonyms
  • Blepharanthes Sm., nom. inval.
  • Clemanthus Klotzsch
  • Echinothamnus Engl.
  • Erythrocarpus M.Roem.
  • Jaeggia Schinz
  • Keramanthus Hook.f.
  • Kolbia P.Beauv.
  • Machadoa Welw. ex Hook.f.
  • Microblepharis (Wight & Arn.) M.Roem.
  • Modecca Lam.
  • Ophiocaulon Hook.f.
  • Paschanthus Burch.

Adenia is a genus in the passionflower family Passifloraceae. It is named after Aden, a city in Yemen[1].

The genus includes a number of tropical and subtropical xerophytes; many of which form substantially thickened bases or lianas. It is also a Caudiciform. Many species are characterised by the extreme toxicity of the sap. In addition to cyanogenic compounds, these contain lectins which destroy ribosomes, hence prevent protein synthesis. This is the same mode of action as ricin, and the toxicities are comparable. A. volkensii was shown to be intensely toxic by Barbieri (1984). Pelosi et al. (2005) compared ten species, and found 3 (A. stenodactyla, A. goezii and A. lanceolata) which were inhibitory at <0.1 ng/ml and lethal to mice at <2 ug/kg, making them among the most potent plant toxins known.

Species and varieties

  • Adenia aculeata Engl.
  • Adenia cissampeloides (Planch. ex Hook.) Harms
  • Adenia cladosepala (Baker) Harms
  • Adenia digitata Engl.
  • Adenia ellenbeckii Harms
  • Adenia firingalavense (Drake ex Jum.) harms
  • Adenia formosana Hayata
  • Adenia fruticosa
  • Adenia glauca Schinz
  • Adenia globosa Engl.
  • Adenia goetzii
  • Adenia gummifera
  • Adenia keramanthus Harms.
  • Adenia lanceolata
  • Adenia lobata (Jacq.) Engl.
  • Adenia olaboensis Claverie
  • Adenia pechuelii Harms
  • Adenia racemosa
  • Adenia spinosa Burtt Davy
  • Adenia stenodactyla
  • Adenia venenata Forssk.
  • Adenia volkensii Harms

External links

References

  1. ^ Genaust, Helmut (1976). Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen ISBN 3-7643-0755-2

Luigi Barbieri, Anna Ida Falasca and Fiorenzo Stirpe (1984) Volkensin, the toxin of Adenia volkensii (kilyambiti plant) • FEBS Letters, Volume 171, Issue 2, 11 June 1984, Pages 277-279

Emanuele Pelosi, Chiara Lubelli, Letizia Polito, Luigi Barbieri, Andrea Bolognesi and Fiorenzo Stirpe (2005). Ribosome-inactivating proteins and other lectins from Adenia (Passifloraceae) • Toxicon, Volume 46, Issue 6, November 2005, Pages 658-663


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