Lonchocarpus
Encyclopedia
Lonchocarpus is a plant
genus
in the legume family
(Fabaceae
). The species
are called lancepods due to their fruit resembling an ornate lance
tip or a few bead
s on a string.
Cubé resin is produced from the roots of L. urucu
and namely L. utilis (Cubé
). It contains enough of the toxic rotenoid
s rotenone
and deguelin
to be used as an insecticide
and piscicide
. As there are naturally occurring compounds, they were formerly used in organic farming
. As it is highly unselective and kills useful as well as pest animals, it is considered harmful to the environment today. Also, chronic
exposure to rotenone and deguelin seems to increase the risk of Parkinson's disease
even in mammal
s, for which these compounds are less acute
ly toxic than for fish and insects. On the other hand, deguelin might be useful in cancer
therapy if it can be applied directly into tumor
s, and Lonchocarpus root is used to a probably insignificant extent by indigenous peoples as an aid in fishing, e.g. by the Nukak
who call it nuún.
The bark of L. violaceus (Balché Tree) is traditionally used by the Yukatek Maya version of the mildly intoxicating mead
balché
, which was held in the highest esteem in antiquity and considered sacred to god of intoxication. It is still drunk today and was after the Spanish conquest of Yucatán
considered a less harmful alternative
to the alcoholic beverage
s imported by the Europeans. It is not quite clear if roots were also used to produce balché, and to what extent toxic isoflavones are also present in L. violaceus. The potency of balché may be increased by using honey produced from L. violaceus nectar gathered by the Maya's traditional stingless bee
s.
Some insects have evolve
d the ability to deal with Lonchocarpus toxins and feed on these plants. They include a possible new taxon
in the Two-barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator) cryptic species complex
which seems to have acquired this ability only quite recently and is found at least on L. costaricensis and L. oliganthus.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the legume family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
). The species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are called lancepods due to their fruit resembling an ornate lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
tip or a few bead
Bead
A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork...
s on a string.
Cubé resin is produced from the roots of L. urucu
Lonchocarpus urucu
Lonchocarpus urucu is part of the Fabaceae family. It is native to the tropical forests of Peru, as well as of Brazil and Guyana, growing from 100 to 1,800 meters above sea level....
and namely L. utilis (Cubé
Cube
In geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. The cube can also be called a regular hexahedron and is one of the five Platonic solids. It is a special kind of square prism, of rectangular parallelepiped and...
). It contains enough of the toxic rotenoid
Rotenoid
Rotenoids are naturally occurring substances containing a cis-fused tetrahydrochromeno[3,4-b]chromene nucleus. Rotenoids are related to the isoflavones....
s rotenone
Rotenone
Rotenone is an odorless chemical that is used as a broad-spectrum insecticide, piscicide, and pesticide. It occurs naturally in the roots and stems of several plants such as the jicama vine plant...
and deguelin
Deguelin
Deguelin is a derivative of rotenone. Both are compounds classified as rotenoids of the flavonoid family and are naturally occurring insecticides...
to be used as an insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
and piscicide
Piscicide
A piscicide is a chemical substance which is poisonous to fish. The primary use for piscicides is to eliminate a dominant species of fish in a body of water, as the first step in attempting to populate the body of water with a different fish...
. As there are naturally occurring compounds, they were formerly used in organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
. As it is highly unselective and kills useful as well as pest animals, it is considered harmful to the environment today. Also, chronic
Chronic (medicine)
A chronic disease is a disease or other human health condition that is persistent or long-lasting in nature. The term chronic is usually applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months. Common chronic diseases include asthma, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.In medicine, the...
exposure to rotenone and deguelin seems to increase the risk of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
even in mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, for which these compounds are less acute
Acute (medicine)
In medicine, an acute disease is a disease with either or both of:# a rapid onset, as in acute infection# a short course ....
ly toxic than for fish and insects. On the other hand, deguelin might be useful in cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
therapy if it can be applied directly into tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
s, and Lonchocarpus root is used to a probably insignificant extent by indigenous peoples as an aid in fishing, e.g. by the Nukak
Nukak
The Nukak people live between the Guaviare and Inírida rivers, in the depths of the tropical humid forest, on the fringe of the Amazon basin, in Guaviare Department, Republic of Colombia. They are nomadic hunter-gatherers with seasonal nomadic patterns and in addition they practice a shifting...
who call it nuún.
The bark of L. violaceus (Balché Tree) is traditionally used by the Yukatek Maya version of the mildly intoxicating mead
Mead
Mead , also called honey wine, is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water. It may also be produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey with grain mash, which is strained immediately after fermentation...
balché
Balché
Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage common among ancient and indigenous cultures in areas of what is now Mexico and upper Central America. Today the drink is still common among the Yucatec Maya, and is made from the bark of a leguminous tree , which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented...
, which was held in the highest esteem in antiquity and considered sacred to god of intoxication. It is still drunk today and was after the Spanish conquest of Yucatán
Spanish conquest of Yucatán
The Spanish conquest of Yucatán was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish conquistadores against the Late Postclassic Maya states and polities, particularly in the northern and central Yucatán Peninsula but also involving the Maya polities of the Guatemalan highlands region...
considered a less harmful alternative
Long-term effects of alcohol
The long term effects of alcohol range from possible health benefits for low levels of alcohol consumption to severe detrimental effects in cases of chronic alcohol abuse...
to the alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s imported by the Europeans. It is not quite clear if roots were also used to produce balché, and to what extent toxic isoflavones are also present in L. violaceus. The potency of balché may be increased by using honey produced from L. violaceus nectar gathered by the Maya's traditional stingless bee
Stingless bee
Stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees, comprising the tribe Meliponini . They belong in the family Apidae, and are closely related to common honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees and bumblebees...
s.
Some insects have evolve
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
d the ability to deal with Lonchocarpus toxins and feed on these plants. They include a possible new taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
in the Two-barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator) cryptic species complex
Cryptic species complex
In biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
which seems to have acquired this ability only quite recently and is found at least on L. costaricensis and L. oliganthus.
Selected species
- Lonchocarpus bussei Harms
- Lonchocarpus calcaratusLonchocarpus calcaratusLonchocarpus calcaratus is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus capassa Rolfe
- Lonchocarpus chiricanusLonchocarpus chiricanusLonchocarpus chiricanus is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Panama.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus costaricensis
- Lonchocarpus domingensis
- Lonchocarpus glaziovii Taub.
- Lonchocarpus kanuriiLonchocarpus kanuriiLonchocarpus kanurii is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Kenya and Somalia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Thulin, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus laxiflorusLonchocarpus laxiflorusLonchocarpus laxiflorus is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. The tree grows to 4-8 meters in height, has grey or yellowish bark and compound leaves. New leaves are accompanied by purple flowers on multi-branched panicles. The fruit is a glabrous papery pod, usually containing one seed. L...
- Lonchocarpus miniflorusLonchocarpus miniflorusLonchocarpus miniflorus is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.-References:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus molinaeLonchocarpus molinaeLonchocarpus molinae is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Honduras.-Source:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus monilis
- Lonchocarpus nelsii (Schinz) Heering & Grimme
- Lonchocarpus oliganthus
- Lonchocarpus phaseolifoliusLonchocarpus phaseolifoliusLonchocarpus phaseolifolius is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.-Source:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus phlebophyllusLonchocarpus phlebophyllusLonchocarpus phlebophyllus is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.-References:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus retiferusLonchocarpus retiferusLonchocarpus retiferus is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Honduras and Nicaragua.-References:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus sanctuariiLonchocarpus sanctuariiLonchocarpus sanctuarii is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Honduras.-Source:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus santarosanus – Chapelno Blanco
- Lonchocarpus trifoliusLonchocarpus trifoliusLonchocarpus trifolius is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Honduras.-Source:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
- Lonchocarpus urucuLonchocarpus urucuLonchocarpus urucu is part of the Fabaceae family. It is native to the tropical forests of Peru, as well as of Brazil and Guyana, growing from 100 to 1,800 meters above sea level....
– "barbascoBarbascoBarbasco can be:*A plant *An evergreen *An inedible wild Mexican yam from which progesterone can be synthesized.*An Medicinal herb in Ayurveda...
" - Lonchocarpus utilis – CubéCubeIn geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. The cube can also be called a regular hexahedron and is one of the five Platonic solids. It is a special kind of square prism, of rectangular parallelepiped and...
, Common Lancepod - Lonchocarpus violaceus – Balché Tree
- Lonchocarpus yoroensisLonchocarpus yoroensisLonchocarpus yoroensis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.-Source:* Nelson, C. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....