Pithecoctenium

Pithecoctenium
	fruit of Pithecoctenium sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Bignoniaceae
Genus:	Pithecoctenium
Species
	About 20, see text

Pithecoctenium is a Bignoniaceae genus of some 20 species of climbing shrubs occurring in the Caribbean and Tropical South America from Brazil to Mexico. Leaves are opposite with 3 entire and stalked leaflets, the terminal leaflet sometimes being modified into a tendril. The genus has distinctive prickly capsules.^[1]

Pithecoctenium crucigerum (L.) A.H. Gentry has become an invasive weed in Australia.^[2] Chemical investigation of methanol extracted from this species yielded the iridoid glycoside theviridoside along with five phenylethanoid glycosides (verbascoside, isoverbascoside, forsythoside B, jionoside D and leucosceptoside B), these last all active against DPPH.^[3]

'Pithecoctenium' translates to 'Monkey Comb'.

Species

Pithecoctenium crucigerum

Pithecoctenium cynanchoides

References

^ Dictionary of Gardening - Royal Horticultural Society (1956)
^ http://www.backyardnature.net/mexnat/monkcomb.htm
^ "Iridoid glycosides from the stems of Pithecoctenium crucigerum (Bignoniaceae)". Phytochemistry. 68 (9): 1307–11. 2007. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.02.002. PMID 17382978. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links

[1] Dictionary of Gardening - Royal Horticultural Society (1956)

[2] ttp://www.backyardnature.net/mexnat/monkcomb.htm

[3] "Iridoid glycosides from the stems of Pithecoctenium crucigerum (Bignoniaceae)". Phytochemistry. 68 (9): 1307–11. 2007. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.02.002. PMID 17382978. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

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