Anamirta cocculus
| Anamirta cocculus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Indian berry (Anamirta cocculus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Menispermaceae |
| Genus: | Anamirta |
| Species: | A. cocculus |
| Binomial name | |
| Anamirta cocculus (L.) Wight & Arn., 1834 |
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Anamirta cocculus is a Southeast Asian and Indian climbing plant. Its fruit, Cocculus indicus, is the source of picrotoxin, a poisonous alkaloid with stimulant properties.
The plant is large-stemmed (up to 10 cm in diameter); the bark is "corky gray" with white wood. The "small, yellowish-white, sweet-scented" flowers vary between 6 to 10 centimeters across; the fruit produced is a drupe, "about 1 cm in diameter when dry".[1]
Contents |
[edit] Chemical substances
The stem and the roots contain quaternary alkaloids, such as berberine, palmatine, magnoflorine and colunibamine. The seeds deliver picrotoxin, a sesquiterpene, while the seed shells contain the tertiary alkaloids menispermine and paramenispermine.
[edit] Uses
Its crushed seeds are an effective pediculicide (anti-lice) and are also traditionally used to stun or kill fish or as a pesticide.[2][3] In pharmacology, it is known as Cocculus Indicus.
Hard multum is a preparation made from Cocculus Indicus, etc., used to impart an intoxicating quality to beer.[4]
The wood is used for fuel and carving.[5]
[edit] Common names
The English common names are fishberry or Levant nut[6] (both referring to the dried fruit, and to the plant by synecdoche); it is variously known as ligtang, aria (Mindanao), bayati (Tagalog), and variations thereof throughout its natural distribution (the Philippines, East India, Malaysia, and New Guinea).
The name "fishberry" comes from the use of the dried fruit as a method of fishing, in which the fish is "stupified and captured"; this method, however, is considered "unsportsmanlike".[6][unreliable source?]
