Guinea Hen Weed
Petiveria alliacea
Family: Phytolaccaceae
What it is like
Petiveria alliacea or Guinea Hen Weed is a flowering species native to United States, Mexico, Central America, the Carribean, and tropical South America. It is a herbaceous shrub that grows up to 1 m tall, with deep root system and small green flowers. The roots and leaves have pungent odor similar to that of garlic's. There is no known edible use of this plant but it is a known medicinal plant for the treatment of fever, diarrhea, headaches, earaches, and other wide range of conditions. It has anti cancer, pain relieving, anti microbial, and anti inflammatory properties. The leaves can be used as an insecticide. Other common names include anamu, tipi, apacin, mucura, guine, feuilles ave, here aux pools, petevere a odeur ail, maturate, and gully root.
Petiveria alliacea is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
A weed of semi-shaded roadsides and rough, well-drained, undisturbed ground at elevations from near sea level to 360 metres in Jamaica.
S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, north through S. America to the Caribbean and Florida, through Central America to Mexico and Texas.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 4
A popular medicinal herb in the tropics, its pungent, garlic-like aroma (which is due to the presence of sulphur compounds) at least in part accounting for this popularity. All the parts are excessively acrid; chewing a small portion of the leaves is said to render the tongue as dry and black and rough as it appears in cases of malignant fever. The whole plant is used, or the leaves and roots separately. Many biologically active compounds have been isolated from all parts of the plant, the most important ones being sulphur compounds, but flavonoids, triterpenes and steroids have also been identified. The sulphur-containing compounds are similar to the odour compounds in garlic and onion, but in the latter they have alkyl instead of benzyl parts. Water, methanol and ethanol extracts of the whole plant have been shown to slow the growth of leukaemia cells and several other strains of cancerous tumour cells in vitro. The water extracts were toxic to leukaemia, lymphoma and several other cancer cell lines. Water extracts of the whole plant have been shown to stimulate the immune system. The hexane and cyclohexane extracts of leaves and stems increased the phagocytotic index of human granulocytes. One of the active immunomodulatory compounds present in the extracts was dibenzyl-trisulfide. A crude extract of the whole plant has shown a protective effect on blood cells infected with the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Root extracts have shown significant anti-inflammatory effects, as well as a significant pain-relieving effect. Many clinical reports and studies confirm that the extracts of the aerial parts and roots have significant broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties in vitro and in vivo against numerous strains of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi and yeast. The crude water extracts perform in a similar way to the alcohol extracts. The whole plant is a pungent herb that is said to be abortifacient, antiseptic, antispasmodic, diuretic and febrifuge. It is believed to calm the nerves, control diarrhoea and stimulate the uterus. The plant is used in the treatment of a range of conditions. It is taken internally to treat nervous spasms, paralysis, hysteria, asthma, whooping cough, pneumonia, bronchitis, hoarseness, fevers, headaches, influenza, cystitis, venereal diseases and menstrual complaints. Taken externally, the plant is used to treat earaches, fever and headaches. It is said that a vapour bath or fumigation of the plant can restore motion to paralysed limbs. The roots are used as a remedy for toothache, and it has also been used to procure an abortion. A leaf maceration is applied to the belly to induce contractions in case of difficult delivery. The liquid from the leaves is instilled as nose or eye drops to cure violent headache, and as nose drops to cure sinusitis. A bath or vapour bath with a leaf decoction is taken in case of oedema. A leaf decoction is applied to abscesses, and is used as an analgesic against muscular pain and to treat skin diseases.. An infusion of pounded bark is drunk to treat colic, rheumatism, cancer, syphilis, colds, fever, bronchitis and asthma. Colombians chew the leaves to coat their teeth and prevent caries.
Abortifacient: Causes an abortion.
Acrid: Causes heat and irritation when applied to the skin.
Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.
Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antifungal: An agent that inhibits or destroys fungi. Used in the treatment of various fungal problems such as candida.
Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Antitumor: Preventing, or effective against, tumors, it is used in the treatment of cancer. Probably synonymous with Cytotoxic.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 3
The roots are placed among woollen goods to protect them from insects. The leaves are used as an insecticide. The leaf extract, and dibenzyl-trisulfide isolated from the roots, have shown significant acaricidal activity against the tick Boophilus microplus when topically applied, and this activity is in general higher than commercial acaricides such as dimethoate, lindane and carbaryl. Dibenzyl-trisulfide was also highly toxic to adult sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius elegantulus) and adult coffee borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei). The leaf extract showed significant antifeedant activity in the grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus, as well as allelopathic activity on germinating seed.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
How it is grown
Prefers a rich, moist soil and a position in partial shade. The plant has become established in many areas outside its native range in tropical Africa and Asia. Flowering Time: Late Spring/Early Summer Mid Summer Late Summer/Early Fall Mid Fall. Bloom Color: White/Near White.
Propagating it: Seed - Cuttings of half-ripe wood.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 9-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The sharp spines of the fruit penetrate the skin readily and painfully if the plant is handled carelessly. The plant can accumulate nitrates and has caused nitrate poisoning in cattle.
Its other names
Local names
Guinea Hen Weed, amurru, anamu, anamú, apacin, apacina, calaj’chin, calaschi, calauchín, congo root, congoroot, douvant-douvant, emboayembo, embya-yendo, erva de guiná, erva de pipi, erva de tipi, erva d´alho, fits bush, fitsy bush, garlic weed, garlicweed, guine, guinea hen, guinea henweed, guinea-hen weed, guinea-hen-plant, guinea-hen-weed, guiné, gully root, gullyroot, herbe aux poules, hierba de las gallinitas, hierba del zorrillo, hoja de zorrillo, kiski sakbatkira, mucura, mucura-caá, mukura hembra, mukura macho, ocoembo, petiveria tetrandra, pimentón, pipi, pipi root, pipí, skunk root, skunkroot, skunkweed, sorill, strongman's-weed, surua, tipi, zorillo, zorrillo.
Synonyms
Petivera foetida Salisb. Petiveria foetida Salisb. Petiveria hexandria Sess? & Moc. Petiveria ochrol