![[BoDD logo]](https://www.botanical-dermatology-database.info/Images/BoDDlogo.gif "Botanical Dermatology Database logo")
|
|
CONVOLVULACEAE(Convolvulus or Morning Glory family)
This family of 55 genera comprises some 1650 species of herbs, shrubs, or rarely trees, many of which are climbing. They are to be found in tropical and temperate regions. Several members of the family have purgative properties and are the sources of certain crude drugs used in medicine (Todd 1967):
The Central American psychotomimetic drugs ololiuqui, tlitliltzin, and, more recently, morning glory are derived from seeds of members of this family, many of which are known to contain hallucinogenic ergoline alkaloids (Heacock 1975). Several instances of dermatitis have been recorded following contact with members of this family. Whilst there is some evidence for irritant, photoirritant, and possibly photoallergic reactions, no detailed investigations have been reported. Also, some species are thorny. About 90 species are native to Indomalaysia, one species to Queensland, Australia. The leaves have rubefacient and vesicant properties (Quisumbing 1951).
[Information available but not yet included in database] This plant can become a troublesome weed in gardens. Striate bullous dermatitis occurring on the wrists and forearms, and related on circumstantial evidence to contact with this species, was considered to be an example of phytophotodermatitis (Klaber 1942). Under experimental conditions, extracts of the plant did not show any photosensitising activity (Van Dijk & Berrens 1964).
Oil of Rosewood was at one time extracted from this shrub. It was replaced by a similar oil obtained from the wood of Aniba rosaeodora Ducke (fam. Lauraceae), the source of which long remained uncertain (Record & Mell 1924). Großmann (1910, 1920) reported that men in his father's workshop could not work for long periods with "rosewood" because of dermatitis and constitutional symptoms. He thought that the wood was derived from Convolvulus scoparius but according to Woods & Calnan (1976) the wood was probably Aniba duckei Kosterm. (fam. Lauraceae). The genus Cuscuta L. comprises about 145 species of parasitic plants with often brightly coloured chlorophyll-less thread-like stems. They are morphologically very different from other members of the Convolvulaceae, and have been placed in their own family, the Cuscutaceae, by some authorities (Mabberley 2008). Many are regarded as noxious weeds. [Information available but not yet included in database] [Information available but not yet included in database] The genus comprises 9 species found in tropical and subtropical regions (Mabberley 2008). Dorsey (1962) received a report that a species of this genus was capable of producing dermatitis. He may have been referring to Dichondra micrantha Urb., the Asian pony's foot or kidney weed, a species that was once popular as a grass substitute for lawns.
Referring to Calonyction aculeatum, Morton (1962a) noted that handling or trimming this vine has caused dermatitis in Florida.
The plant is widely grown in the tropics for its edible tubers known as batatas. Batata-itch, perhaps more appropriately described as patatta-itch (Simons 1953, Van Thiel 1930) is a mite infestation known medically as trombiculosis. It is a pruriginous infestation caused by a mite that was originally described as Acarus batatas L., but is now known as Trombicula batatas or Eutrombicula batatas (fam. Trombiculidae). The original description published by Linnaeus referred to the fact that the mite was found on batatas in Surinam. However, it is now apparent that Ipomoea batatas is almost certainly not specifically involved as a source of infestation (see Michnener 1946, Jenkins 1948). Wimmer (1926) refers to reports of skin irritation from Ipomoea imperialis which he ascribes to rigid, sharply pointed, easily dislodged trichomes on the plant. The plant was listed by Touton (1932) as being capable of producing dermatitis.
On the Malay Peninsula, juice from the plant is applied to stings of fish; in Indonesia, a poultice of the crushed leaves is a maturative for boils, and sap from the half-grown leaves boiled with coconut oil forms a healing salve for sores and ulcers; in the Philippines, the leaves are used as a caustic to clean fungoid growth out of ulcers, and the boiled leaves are applied to burns; in New Guinea, a decoction of the leaves is applied to sores (Perry & Metzger 1980).
McKenzie & Gerlach (1988) described a bullous skin reaction associated with an erythematous rash and a burning sensation after handling this plant infected with a rust fungus identified as Endophyllum kaernbachii F.Stevens & Mendiola (fam. Pucciniaceae). Hyperpigmentation of the affected skin persisted for 15-18 months. The reaction was believed to be an example of a parasitophytophotodermatitis. The plant was growing on a beach in Western Samoa. Perry & Metzger (1980) note that in Indonesia, the leaves of this species crushed, powdered or made into a poultice are used externally to put on ulcers, sores, haemorrhoids, and hot swellings.
Perry & Metzger (1980) note that in Indonesia, the leaves of this species crushed, powdered or made into a poultice are used externally to put on ulcers, sores, haemorrhoids, and hot swellings. According to Quisumbing (1951), the root has a sternutatory effect. References
|
![[BBEdit logo]](https://www.botanical-dermatology-database.info/Images/BuiltWithBBEdit.jpg){kind=small}
![[Valid CSS!]](https://www.botanical-dermatology-database.info/Images/vcss.gif){kind=small}
![[ORCiD logo]](https://www.botanical-dermatology-database.info/Images/orcid-logo-bodd.png){kind=logo}
0000-0002-2678-0784![[Valid HTML 4.01!]](https://www.botanical-dermatology-database.info/Images/valid-html401.png){kind=small}
|
|
url |