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Summary

Alchornea glandulosa is a tree species of the Acalyphoideae native to South America, growing in southern Brazil from Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul. It is locally known as tamanqueiro, tapiá or amor seco. This gnarled tree grows preferentially in riparian forest, where it a common pioneer species growing to a height of 10–20 m. It is essentially evergreen, though in the hot austral summer months there is a more pronounced changeover of leaves, and branches are denuded to some extent.

Description

The fruit is about 8.7 mm long by 5.9 mm wide on average, and contains one round seed measuring about 4.45 mm in diameter; very rarely a second seed develops. This sticks out of an aril at the fruit's tip; when ripe, the seedcoat turns bright red and the fruit somewhat resembles that of a yew with a larger and more prominent seed. Fruit ripen in the summer months, roughly between September/October and December/January in S Brazil, and as the trees bear less leaves at that time than otherwise, the bright red fruit are easily spotted.

Taxonomy

It was first published in E.F.Poeppig & S.L.Endlicher, Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. vol.3 on page 18 in 1841.

Subspecies

It has 2 known and accepted subspecies; Alchornea glandulosa subsp. glandulosa from central & southern tropical America Alchornea glandulosa subsp. iricurana (Casar.) Secco from Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and north eastern Argentina.

Uses

Stigmasterol can be obtained from A. glandulosa

This tree is often cut down for timber, but it is also useful as a honey plant. Also, its leaves contain compounds of medical interest. In folk medicine, Alchornea species are used to treat assorted skin diseases, diarrhea, inflammations, leprosy and rheuma.

Scientific studies have confirmed most of these effects. Species such as Davilla elliptica and Davilla nitida as well as Alchornea glandulosa, have properties that could be used in the treatment of peptic ulcers.

Studies have also found extracts of certain species...