Duboisia

Duboisia
The orchid genus described by Karsten as Duboisia is now included in Myoxanthus. For the prehistoric antelope genus, see Duboisia (antelope).
Duboisia
Duboisia myoporoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Cestroideae
Tribe: Anthocercideae
Genus: Duboisia
Type genus
Duboisia myoporoides
R.Br. 1802
Species

Duboisia (commonly called Corkwood Tree) is a genus of small perennial shrubs to trees about 14 m tall, with extremely light wood and a thick corky bark. There are four species; all occur in Australia, and one also occurs in New Caledonia.

The alternate, glabrous leaves are narrow and elliptical. The inflorescence is an open cymose panicle of apically small white flowers, sometimes with a purple or mauve striped tube. They flower profusely in spring. The fruit is a small, globular, black, juicy berry.

The nicotine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine-containing leaves of Duboisia are the active component of the drug pituri[1], used by indigenous peoples of central Australia for its stimulant, euphoric, antispasmodic and analgesic effects. For example, smoke from the burning leaves is inhaled at ceremonies, such as male initiation rites, including circumcision, in part because of its anaesthetic properties and ability to induce altered states of consciousness. The dried leaves of Duboisia hopwoodii is also mixed with ash from Acacia species and chewed. One paleontologist, Dr Gavin Young, named the fossil agnathan Pituriaspis doylei after pituri, as he thought he might be hallucinating upon viewing the fossil fish's bizarre form.[2] Prior to European settlement in Australia, pituri was exported along trade routes and used by indigenous peoples far from central Australia, including Torres Strait Islanders.

The leaves of Duboisia leichhardtii and Duboisia myoporoides also contain scopolamine and hyoscyamine, along with some other pharmaceutically important alkaloids. A derivative of scopolamine is the main active ingredient of the drug butylscopolamine, a potent antispasmodic and analgesic. These trees are commercially grown for the pharmaceutical industry.

References

  1. ^ Pituri, An Australian Aboriginal drug, Pamela Watson, pharmacist/anthropologist, Toowong, Queensland, Drugtext
  2. ^ Long, John A. The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8018-5438-5

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Duboisia — Duboisia …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Duboisia — myoporoides Systematik Kerneudikotyledonen Asteriden Euasteriden I …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Duboisia — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda ? Duboisia Duboisia myoporoides Clasificación científica …   Wikipedia Español

  • duboisia — género de plantas solanáneceas propias de Australia con propiedades narcóticas y sedantes. La más utilizada es la D. myoporoides que contiene un alcaloide, la Duboisina estructuralmente parecido a la escopolamina e identificada como hioscina.… …   Diccionario médico

  • Duboisia — Du*bois i*a, n. [NL.] (Med.) Same as {Duboisine}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Duboisia — (D. R. Br.), Pflanzengattung, benannt nach dem französischen Naturforscher M. Dubois (welcher Ornithologische Galerie, 1835 ff., herausgab), aus der Familie der Scrophularineae Salpiglossideae; Art: D. myoporoides, in Neu Holland …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Duboisĭa — R. Br., Gattung der Solanazeen, sind kahle Bäumchen mit ungeteilten Blättern, zahlreichen kleinen weißen Blüten in einem endständigen rispigen Blütenstand und Beerenfrucht. Von den zwei Arten enthält D. Hopwoodi F. v. Müll. (Pituri), in den… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Duboisia — Duboisĭa, Pflanzengattg. der austral. Sträucher; die Zweigspitzen von D. Hopwoodi F. v. Müll. (Pituripflanze) liefern gekaut das von den Eingeborenen als Reizmittel gebrauchte Piturigift, D. myoporoīdes R. Br. das Alkaloid Duboisin, das wie… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Duboisia — my …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Duboisia — ID 28749 Symbol Key DUBOI Common Name duboisia Family Solanaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity N/A US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution N/A Growth Habit N/A …   USDA Plant Characteristics

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