Strychnos ignatii

Ignatia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Loganiaceae
Genus:	Strychnos
Species:	S. ignatia
Binomial name
Strychnos ignatia Lindl.
Synonyms
Ignatia amara Linné filius Ignatiana philippinica Loureiro Strychnos hainanensis Merrill & Chun Strychnos ignatii Bergius Strychnos ovalifolia Wallich ex G. Don Strychnos philippensis Blanco

Strychnos ignatii is a tree in the Loganiaceae family, native to the Philippines, particularly in Catbalogan and parts of China. The plant was first described by the Czech Jesuite working in the Philippines, brother Georg Kamel who named its fruit as the Bean of St. Ignatius, after the founder of his religious order.

Etymology

The plants was originally named by Kamel for Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of Kamel's Jesuit missionary order. It is known in the Philippines under the names of: aguwason, dankkagi (Visayan language) or igasud (in Cebuano language).

Fruit

The fruit of S. ignatii is the size and shape of a pear, and has almond-like seeds known as Saint Ignatius' beans.^[1]

Strychnine

The beans of the plant contain the alkaloids strychnine and brucine.^[2] Strychnine is highly toxic, with an LD₅₀ of 1-2 milligrams per kilogram, and was formerly used in rat poisons. Brucine is also toxic, but less so.

Homeopathy

Strychnos ignatii is used in some homeopathic remedies.^[3]

References

1. Ignatia. enotes.com Archived March 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
2. Datta De, B; Bisset, N. G. (1990). "Alkaloids of Strychnos ignatii". Planta Medica. 56 (1): 133. doi:10.1055/s-2006-960910. PMID 17221391.
3. Van Den Meerschaut, L; Sünder, A (2007). "The Homeopathic Preparation Nervoheel N can Offer an Alternative to Lorazepam Therapy for Mild Nervous Disorders". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 6 (4): 507–515. doi:10.1093/ecam/nem144. PMC 2781768. PMID 18955261.