Edit History
Abrus precatorius Linn. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE]
Date Updated: 30 April 2005
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 3
Names
Abrus precatorius Linn. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE]
Common names
English jequirity (from a Brazilian name); crab’s eyes (the seeds); bird’s eye (the seeds); prayer beads (the seeds); lucky bean (the seeds); Indian liquorice, or wild liquorice (the root). French jequirity; liane réglisse (liquorice vine, the root); paternoster; réglisse d’Amerique (Berhaut); pois de bedeau (Berhaut); pois d Amerique (Berhaut); abrus à chapelet (Bouquiaux); abrus à prière (Bailleul). SENEGAL: BADYARA mãntumbi (JB) BASARI a-ñété (JB) DIOLA a humé (JB) ba sis a fulafu (JB) be girimañt (JB) é sumu te ẽndẽg (JB) é sumu te koagen (JB) fu sente (JB) kabun (JB; K&A) kańuta (JB) DIOLA (Bayot) ba teg a teg (JB) DIOLA (Fogny) bas
Uses
(leaf) Food: general (leaf, root) Food: sweets, sweetmets (leaf, twig) Medicines: generally healing (leaf) Medicines: blood disorders (leaf, twig) Medicines: pain-killers (leaf, twig) Medicines: sedatives, etc. (root) Medicines: arthritis, rheumatism, etc. (leaf, seed) Medicines: eye treatments (leaf, root) Medicines: naso-pharyngeal affections (leaf, root, seed) Medicines: pulmonary troubles (leaf) Medicines: stomach troubles (leaf, seed) Medicines: skin, mucosae (root, seed) Medicines: laxatives, etc. (leaf) Medicines: diarrhoea, dysentery (leaf, root) Medicines: vermifuges (twig, root) Medicines: kidneys, diuretics (root) Medicines: genital stimulants/depressants (seed) Medicines: menstrual cycle (root) Medicines: pregnancy, antiaborifacients (seed) Medicines: abortifacients, ecbolics (leaf, twig, root, seed) Medicines: venereal diseases (root) Medicines: leprosy (leaf) Medicines: tumours, cancers (leaf) Medicines: malnutrition, debility (root) Medicines: antidotes (venomous stings, bites, etc.) (root) Medicines: brain, nervous system (root) Phytochemistry: glycosides, saponims, steroids (seed) Phytochemistry: arrow-poisons (seed) Phytochemistry: miscellaneously poisonous or repellent (most parts) Phytochemistry: alkaloids Agri-horticulture: ornamental, cultivated or partially tended (flower) Agri-horticulture: bee/honey plants, insect plants Agri-horticulture: composting, manuring (stem) Products: fibre (seed) Products: household, domestic and personal items (seed) Products: pastimes-carving, musical instruments, games, toys, etc. (plant) Social: religion, superstitions, magic (seed) Social: ceremonial (seed) Social: sayings, aphorisms
Products
french: Pois d’Ameriqueenglish: Luck beanfrench: Pois de bedeauenglish: Crab’s eyesfrench: Abrus à chapeletfrench: Abrus à prièreenglish: Prayer beadsfrench: Reglisse d’Ameriqueportuguese: Jequirityenglish: Jequirityfrench: Jequirityenglish: Bird’s eyeenglish: Liquorice, Indianfrench: Paternosterenglish: Wild liquoriceenglish: Indian liquoricefrench: Liane reglisseenglish: Liquorice, Wild
Description
A twining herbaceous, sub-woody, lianous plant with stems up to 1∙5 cm diameter; of thickets, clearings, secondary jungle of all types and galleried forest in slightly damp sites, throughout the Region from Senegal to S Nigeria and Fernando Po; all over t
References
References:1. Ainslie, 1937: sp. no. 1. 2. Bally, 1937. 3. Berhaut, 1976: 18–21. 4. Bouquet, 1969: 185. 5. Bouquet & Debray, 1974: 135, 137. 6. Boutique, 1954: 85–86. 7. Burkill, IH, 1935: 4–9. 8. Busson, 1965: 226–8, with chemical analysis of the leaf. 9
Contributor
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Date Updated: 30 April 2005
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 3
Names
Abrus precatorius Linn. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE]
Common names
English jequirity (from a Brazilian name);crab’s eyes (the seeds); bird’s eye (the seeds); prayerbeads (the seeds); lucky bean (the seeds); Indian liquorice, orwild liquorice (the root). French jequirity; liane réglisse (liquoricevine, the root); paternoster; réglisse d’Amerique(Berhaut); pois de bedeau (Berhaut); pois d Amerique (Berhaut);abrus à chapelet (Bouquiaux); abrus à prière(Bailleul). SENEGAL: BADYARA mãntumbi(JB) BASARI a-ñété (JB) DIOLA a humé (JB)ba sis a fulafu (JB) be girimañt (JB) é sumu teẽndẽg (JB) é sumu te koagen (JB) fu sente (JB)kabun (JB; K&A) kańuta (JB) DIOLA (Bayot) ba teg ateg (JB) DIOLA (Fogny) bas
Uses
(leaf) Food: general (leaf, root) Food: sweets, sweetmets (leaf, twig) Medicines: generally healing (leaf) Medicines: blood disorders (leaf, twig) Medicines: pain-killers (leaf, twig) Medicines: sedatives, etc. (root) Medicines: arthritis, rheumatism, etc. (leaf, seed) Medicines: eye treatments (leaf, root) Medicines: naso-pharyngeal affections (leaf, root, seed) Medicines: pulmonary troubles (leaf) Medicines: stomach troubles (leaf, seed) Medicines: skin, mucosae (root, seed) Medicines: laxatives, etc. (leaf) Medicines: diarrhoea, dysentery (leaf, root) Medicines: vermifuges (twig, root) Medicines: kidneys, diuretics (root) Medicines: genital stimulants/depressants (seed) Medicines: menstrual cycle (root) Medicines: pregnancy, antiaborifacients (seed) Medicines: abortifacients, ecbolics (leaf, twig, root, seed) Medicines: venereal diseases (root) Medicines: leprosy (leaf) Medicines: tumours, cancers (leaf) Medicines: malnutrition, debility (root) Medicines: antidotes (venomous stings, bites, etc.) (root) Medicines: brain, nervous system (root) Phytochemistry: glycosides, saponims, steroids (seed) Phytochemistry: arrow-poisons (seed) Phytochemistry: miscellaneously poisonous or repellent (most parts) Phytochemistry: alkaloids Agri-horticulture: ornamental, cultivated or partially tended (flower) Agri-horticulture: bee/honey plants, insect plants Agri-horticulture: composting, manuring (stem) Products: fibre (seed) Products: household, domestic and personal items (seed) Products: pastimes-carving, musical instruments, games, toys, etc. (plant) Social: religion, superstitions, magic (seed) Social: ceremonial (seed) Social: sayings, aphorisms
Products
french: Pois d’Ameriqueenglish: Luck beanfrench: Pois de bedeauenglish: Crab’s eyesfrench: Abrus à chapeletfrench: Abrus à prièreenglish: Prayer beadsfrench: Reglisse d’Ameriqueportuguese: Jequirityenglish: Jequirityfrench: Jequirityenglish: Bird’s eyeenglish: Liquorice, Indianfrench: Paternosterenglish: Wild liquoriceenglish: Indian liquoricefrench: Liane reglisseenglish: Liquorice, Wild
Description
A twining herbaceous, sub-woody, lianousplant with stems up to 1∙5 cm diameter; of thickets,clearings, secondary jungle of all types and galleried forest inslightly damp sites, throughout the Region from Senegal to SNigeria and Fernando Po; all over t
References
References:1. Ainslie, 1937: sp. no. 1. 2. Bally, 1937.3. Berhaut, 1976: 18–21. 4. Bouquet, 1969: 185. 5. Bouquet& Debray, 1974: 135, 137. 6. Boutique, 1954: 85–86. 7.Burkill, IH, 1935: 4–9. 8. Busson, 1965: 226–8, withchemical analysis of the leaf. 9
Contributor
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
![Abrus precatorius Linn. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE]](/fsi/img/misc/plants/static_thumbs/rt_upwta.png)
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