Heliotropium foertherianum

Heliotropium foertherianum
In the Hawaiian Islands
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Heliotropium
Species: H. foertherianum
Binomial name
Heliotropium foertherianum
Diane & Hilger
Synonyms

Tournefortia argentea L.f.
Argusia argentea (L.f.) Heine
Messerschmidia argentea (L.f.) I.M.Johnst.
Tournefortia arborea Blanco

Heliotropium foertherianum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It is native to tropical Asia including southern China, Madagascar, northern Australia, and most of the atolls and high islands of Micronesia and Polynesia. Common names include velvetleaf soldierbush,[2] tree heliotrope and octopus bush. It is a shrub or small tree typical of littoral zones reaching a height of 6 m (20 ft), with a similar spread.

Taxonomy

Originally published as Tournefortia argentea, it was transferred to Argusia argentea, and remained under that name until recently. It was subsequently restored to Tournefortia before being transferred into Heliotropium under a new name in 2003.[3][4]

Uses

Flowers
Heliotropium foertherianum
Flower

Historically in the Maldives the leaves were often used as famine food.[5]

Wood

The wood of H. foertherianum is commonly used to make handicrafts, tools, and, in Polynesia, frames for swim goggles. Due to its availability, H. foertherianum is used as firewood, and has become rare in some areas as a result.[6]

Medicinal

Octopus bush is used in many Pacific islands as a traditional medicine to treat ciguatera fish poisoning, which is caused by powerful ciguatoxins produced by microscopic Gambierdiscus algae. Scientists from the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and the Louis Malarde Institute in French Polynesia and Pasteur Institute in New Caledonia are researching the plant chemistry and believe that senescent leaves contain rosmarinic acid and derivatives, which are known for its antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.[7] The researchers think rosmarinic acid may remove the ciguatoxins from their sites of action, as well as being an anti-inflammatory.

References

  1. ↑ World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Argusia argentea. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 August 2007.
  2. ↑ "Tournefortia argentea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "IngentaConnect A systematic analysis of Heliotropiaceae (Boraginales) based on t". Botanische Jahrbücher. 125: 19–51. 2003-12-01. doi:10.1127/0006-8152/2003/0125-0019.
  4. ↑ "Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  5. ↑ Eating on the Islands - As times have changed, so has the Maldives' unique cuisine and culture
  6. ↑ Elevitch, Craig R.; Harley I. Manner (April 2006). "Tournefortia argentea (tree heliotrope)" (PDF). The Traditional Tree Initiative.
  7. ↑ Protective effect of Heliotropium foertherianum (Boraginaceae) folk remedy and its active compound, rosmarinic acid, against a Pacific ciguatoxin. Rossi F, Jullian V, Pawlowiez R, Kumar-Roiné S, Haddad M, Darius HT, Gaertner-Mazouni N, Chinain M and Laurent D, J Ethnopharmacol., 30 August 2012, volume 143, issue 1, pages 33-40, doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.05.045
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