Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pav.

  • Family

    Menispermaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pav.

  • Primary Citation

    Systema Vegetabilium Florae Peruvianae et Chilensis.
    261. 1798

  • Description

    Phenology: Flowers in October and November

    Latin description: C. foliis cordatis leviter crenatis cum acumine subtus tomentosis. Fl. Per. et Chil. tom 8. Planta fruticosa, scandens. Floret Octobri, et Novembri. Obs. Cortex amarissimus. Flores feminei desiderantur.

    Additional text from protologue: Habitat in Pillao ad Chacahuassi nemoribus imis et calidis, Ruiz & Pavón s.n.

    Uses: Chondrodendron tomentosum is an active ingredient in curare, a potent neurotoxin. Curare has been used as an arrow poison by indigenous peoples of the Amazon region. In 1912, Arthur Läwen, a German surgeon was the first to use curare as muscle relaxant medically. Shortly afterwards, it became common place in surgical procedures such as abdominal surgery. Today, synthetic drugs have been developed with similar molecular properties as curare. In addition to surgeries, they are used for treating paralysis caused by tetnus and as a relaxant for setting broken bones.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pav.: [Article] Barneby, Rupert C. & Krukoff, Boris A. 1971. Supplementary notes on American Menispermaceae. VIII. A generic survey of the American Tricilisisae and Anomospermeae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 22: 1-89.