Abuta Explained

Abuta is a genus in the flowering plant family Menispermaceae, of about 32 species, native to tropical Central and South America.

Description

It consists in dioecious climbers or rarely erect trees or shrubs (Abuta concolor) with simple leaves. Flowers in composed panicles. Male flowers: sepals 6, in 2 whorls, petals absent, stamens 6, connate or free, introrse, anthers with a longitudinal or transverse dehiscence. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male, staminodes 6, carpels 3, drupes ovoid, endocarp woody, condyle septiform, endosperm ruminate, embryo curved, cotyledons appressed. It inhabits tropical rain forests.

Taxonomy

Abuta is usually classified in the tribe Anomospermeae Miers, together with Anomospermum Miers.

Synonymy

The genera Anelasma Miers and Batschia Thunb. have been brought into synonymy with Abuta.

Uses

Abuta is one of the components of the arrow poison curare of some indigenous tribes of South America (especially Abuta imene from Colombia). Roots of Abuta rufescens are used as medicinal in diseases of the urogenital tract, but it is dangerous.^[1]

Species

Species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of March 2024:^[2]

• Abuta acutifolia
• Abuta alto-macahensis
• Abuta antioquiana
• Abuta aristeguietae
• Abuta barbata
• Abuta brevifolia
• Abuta bullata
• Abuta candollei
• Abuta chiapasensis
• Abuta chocoensis
• Abuta colombiana
• Abuta dwyeriana
• Abuta fluminum
• Abuta grandifolia
• Abuta grisebachii
• Abuta imene
• Abuta longa
• Abuta mycetandra
• Abuta obovata
• Abuta pahni
• Abuta panamensis
• Abuta panurensis
• Abuta platyphylla
• Abuta racemosa
• Abuta rufescens
• Abuta sandwithiana
• Abuta seemannii
• Abuta selloana
• Abuta solimoesensis
• Abuta soukupii
• Abuta spicata
• Abuta steyermarkii
• Abuta vaupesensis
• Abuta velutina

Further reading

• Book: Latin, German . Diels, L. . 1910 . Menispermaceae . Engler, A. . Adolf Engler . Das Pflanzenreich . IV.94 (Fasc. 46) . Engelmann . Leipzig (Germany) . [monographic revision of the genus]
• Barneby . R. C. . Krukoff . B. A. . 1971 . Supplementary Notes on American Menispermaceae VIII. A Generic Survey of the American Triclisieae and Anomospermeae . Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden . 22 . 2 . 30–52 . 978-0-89327-075-9 . [taxonomic partial revision]
• Book: Kessler, P. J. A. . Kubitzki, K. . Flowering plants, dicotyledons : magnoliid, hamamelid, and caryophyllid families . 1993 . The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants . 2 . Springer-Verlag . Berlin . 3-540-55509-9 . 93019190 .

External links

• Images of Abuta panamensis from La Flora Digital de La Selva, Costa Rica

Notes and References

1. Book: Mabberley, D. J. . 1997 . The Plant-Book . 2nd . 0-521-41421-0 . 96030091 . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge, U.K. . registration .
2. 26864-1 . Abuta Aubl. . 5 March 2024.