Cecropia spp.
[Introduction and Description] [Common Names] [Chemical Compounds] [Toxicity] [Uses and Efficacy] [References] [Return to medicinal plants list]
Cecropia spp. belong to the family Cecropiaceae (previously included in the family Moraceae) and are native to tropical America. The trees are reported to have a milky caustic latex, and many of them are attractive to ants. C. peltata, the species for which the most information was easily accessible, grows to a height of 20-25m. The bark is gray and red and has rings. The "umbrellas" can be 1m in diameter and the leaves which make up the umbrella can be 30-40cm in diameter. The branches are hollow.
Cercopia spp.
- Trumpet Tree
- Trumpet Wood
- Snake Wood
- Yagrumo
- Yagrumo Hembra
- Llagrumo Hembra
- Bois Canot
- Guarumo
- Guarima
- Guarumbo
- Trompeta
C. peltata
- Bois Canon
- Bois Trompette
- Grayumbe
- Grayumbo
- Guarumo -- Honduras
- Trompette
- Trompettier
- Trumpet Tree
- Yagruma
- Yagrumo
No information on chemical compounds in Cercopia spp. could be found.
The only toxicity information available indicates that Cecropia spp. may cause itching and skin rashes. These reactions are caused by the leaves and by the ants residing in the trees.
Cecropia peltata is used by some Honduran farmers to aid animals during birthing. It is given during labor to speed up the birthing process and after labor so that the placenta is quickly expelled. No information on the preparation or doses was available.
The only study that could be located regarding its medicinal properties indicated that leaf extracts had antigonorrheal activity.
Some Uses in Humans:
Cecropia spp.
- Asthma -- Mexico
- Astringent -- Venezuela
- Cardiac -- Venezuela
- Dysentery -- Mexico
- Liver -- Mexico
- Masticatory -- Colombia
- Tonic -- Venezuela
- Ulcer -- Mexico
- Venereal -- Mexico
- Warts -- Mexico
- Wounds -- Mexico
C. peltata
- Asthma -- Haiti and Mexico
- Astringent -- Haiti
- Cardiotonic -- Haiti, Mexico, and Uruguay
- Caustic -- Mexico
- Chorea -- Mexico
- Cough and bronchitis -- Haiti and Trinidad
- Diabetes -- Mexico
- Diarrhea and dysentery -- Haiti
- Diuretic -- Mexico and Uruguay
- Dropsy -- Mexico
- Fever -- Trinidad
- Flu -- Trinidad
- Gonorrhea -- Haiti
- Hepatitis -- Mexico
- Herpes -- Haiti
- Liver
- Nerve -- Mexico
- Obesity -- Mexico
- Poison -- Mexico
- Snake bites and scorpions -- Trinidad
- Warts, calluses, and corns -- Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French Guinea, Jamaica, Martinique, and Mexico
- Wounds -- Haiti
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., James A. Duke, and K.K. Wain. "The Ethnobotany Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/ethnobotdb. (ACEDB version 4.3 -data version July 1994).
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Phytochemical Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/phytochemdb. (ACEDB version 4.3 - data version July 1994).
- Caceres, A., H. Menendez, E. Mendez, E. Cohobon, B.E. Samayoa, E. Jauregui, E. Peralta, G. Carrillo. 1995. Antigonorrhoeal activity of plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. J Ethnopharmacology 48: 85-88.
- Paquet, J. 1981. Manual de Dendrologia de Algunas Especies de Honduras. Programa Forestal ACDI-COHDEFOR.