Duboisia myoporoides

Flower, fruit and leaves of Duboisia myoporoides

Duboisia myoporoides is a species of the genus Duboisia in the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). An English common name is Corkwood.

Description

Duboisia myoporoides is a tall shrub or tree that can reach heights of growth of up to 24 m. Its bark is thick and corky back to base. The leaves are narrow obovate to narrowly obovate - elliptic, sometimes narrowly elliptic. They are usually sessile or with up to 3 mm long petioles are 4-15 cm long and 1-4 cm wide and are colored slightly different on top and bottom.

The inflorescences are broadly pyramidal and are accompanied 1-11 mm long bracts. The flowers are on 2-7 mm long pedicles. The calyx is 1-3 mm long, the length of the calyx lobes usually equates to one -fifth to one-third the length of the calyx tube. The crown is 4 to 7 mm long, the corolla tube attaches to the top 2 to 4 mm in diameter, the corolla lobes are 1 to 3.5 mm long. Most four, rarely five stamens are formed, which are 1.5 to 3 mm long. The stylus is 1 to 2 mm long, only slightly shorter or longer than the upper stamens.

The fruit is a berry that is mostly spherical, rarely elliptic to oval and 4.5 to 8 mm long. It is purple -black and stands at a lengthening of 6-12 mm pedicel. The seeds are 2.5 to 3 mm long.

Dissemination and locations

The species is found in eastern Australia, ranging from northern Queensland to the southeast of New South Wales, also in New Caledonia, the species is native. It grows in areas with heavy rainfall on sand or clay, often it can be found at the edge or in clearings of rainforests or wet eucalyptus forests.

Importance

Since the leaves contain various tropane alkaloids, they are harvested, among other things for the production of hyoscine, which is used for medical devices.

Toxicity

The plant is highly toxic, especially in the leaves.

Active ingredients: In the leaves above 2% alkaloids are included, depending on the geographical location of different composition. Main alkaloid is usually scopolamine ( hyoscine called ); ( or is a mixture of both, the duboisine called ) rarely hyoscyamine.

Secondary alkaloids are: Tigloidin, Valeroidin, Poroidin, Isoporoidin, Norhyoscyamin, L- anabasine, DL- Isopelletierin, nicotine, nornicotine, and Valtropin Butropin.

Poisoning: Tigloidin is known as CNS sedative; Tigloidinhydrobromid is in animal experiments an effective remedy for Parkinson's disease. In large doses it causes dizziness. Tremors, speech impairment, mental agitation, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting and heart heads out.

Evidence

• RW Purdie, DE Symon, L. Haegi: Duboisia myoporoides. In: Solanaceae. Flora of Australia, Volume 29, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1982, ISBN 0-642-07015-6, pp. 17-18.
• Lutz Roth, Max Daunderer, Kurt Kormann: poisonous plants plant toxins. 6th edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-86820-009-6.