Rhaphithamnus

Rhaphithamnus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Verbenaceae.

Rhaphithamnus
R. venustus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Verbenaceae
Genus:	Rhaphithamnus Miers[1]
Species
Rhaphithamnus spinosus Rhaphithamnus venustus
Synonyms[1]
Poeppigia Bertero

Traditionally, it has been considered by the locals that the berries of this genus of plants are toxic or poisonous, so their consumption is not recommended.

Species

• Rhaphithamnus spinosus (Juss.) Moldenke.^[2] Common names in Chile and Argentina repu, arayan macho and espino negro ( = 'black-thorn').
• Rhaphithamnus venustus (Phil.) Rob.

Use in Chilean folk medicine

In the Los Lagos Region of southern Chile, R. spinosus is one of three plant species believed in local folk medicine to be antidotes to the anticholinergic poisoning caused by the dangerous hallucinogenic plant Latua pubiflora (Solanaceae). It is used by the shamans of the indigenous Huilliche people who employ Latua to enter trance in machitun healing rituals.^[3][4][5][6]

Gallery

• 
  Rhaphithamnus spinosus in flower.
• 
  Spiny twigs of Rhaphithamnus spinosus.
• 
  Mid-shot of fruiting specimen of R. spinosus in Chilean planting at Logan Botanic Garden.
• 
  Close-up of striking, bluish-purple fruits of Rhaphithamnus spinosus.

References

1. "Genus: Rhaphithamnus Miers". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
2. "GRIN Species Records of Rhaphithamnus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
3. Murillo, A., 1899 Plantes Medicinales du Chile. Exposition Universelle de Paris, Section Chilenne pp. 152–155.
4. Mariani, Ramírez C., 1965 Temas de Hipnosis pub. Editorial Andrés Bello, Biblioteca de Estudios Médicos, Santiago. page 336.
5. Sparre, B. ( Curator of Museum of Natural History, Stockholm in early 1950s ) 1970. Letter to the authors of the Harvard Botanical Museum Leaflet on Latua : Plowman, Gyllenhaal and Lindgren.
6. Plowman, Timothy, Gyllenhaal, Lars Olof and Lindgren, Jan Erik Latua pubiflora magic plant from southern Chile Botanical Museum Leaflets Harvard University Vol. 23, No. 2, Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 12, 1971

External links

Media related to Rhaphithamnus at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Rhaphithamnus at Wikispecies