Quassia amara - Bitter wood

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Quassia amara

Quassia amara (amargo, bitter-ash, bitter-wood) is a species in the genus Quassia, with some botanists treating it as the sole species in the genus. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus who named it after the first botanist to describe it: the Surinamese freedman Graman Quassi. Q. amara is used as insecticide, in traditional medicine and as additive in the food industry.

Uses

intestinal parasites, skin parasites, intestinal parasites, amebic infections, malaria, digestive problems, eliminate toxins, liver.

Parts Used

wood, Leaves.

Chemical Composition

The main chemicals identified in amargo include: beta-carbolines, beta-sitostenone, beta-sitosterol, dehydroquassins, gallic acid, gentisic acid, hydroxyquassins, isoparain

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada
Hindi	Akarkara
Malayalam	Akkarakaaram
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Akarkarabh
English	Pellitory

Habit

shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
simple	Alternate, Pinnate	ative to Brazil, Bitter Quassia ia a small forest tree, typically with a leaning stem, sometimes multiply-stemmed. Leaves are alternate, compound, with 3-5 leaflets, one terminal and the remaining in opposing pairs. The rachis between the leaflets is conspicuously winged. The leaves and bark have an unpleasant bitter flavor if chewed

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	15-25 cm long	white		The flowers are produced in a panicle 15-25 cm long, each flower 2.5-3.5 cm long, bright red on the outside, and white inside. They are tubes with a narrow mouth, somewhat wider at the base

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
		Syncarp (sorosis) The fruit consists of 4-5 berries held together in a red receptacle; the fruits themselves are green, then turn black when maturing early in the dry season.	seeds many, ovoid.		{{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Seeds and cuttings can be used for propagation of Q. amara. Frost is not tolerated, but the plant is partially drought tolerant. A large amount of indirect light is recommended.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Mediterranian, Himalayas, Arabian countries.

Photo Gallery

• 

  Var. depressus

• 

  same plant, flower detail

• 

  Var. depressus, flowers closed