# Amphipterygium adstringens > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Amphipterygium_adstringens > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Amphipterygium_adstringens.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphipterygium_adstringens > Source revision: 1303538155 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Species of flowering plant Amphipterygium adstringens Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Sapindales Family: Anacardiaceae Genus: Amphipterygium Species: A. adstringens Binomial name Amphipterygium adstringens Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal ***Amphipterygium adstringens***, or the **cuachalalate**, is an ancient [medicinal plant](/source/Medicinal_plant) that has been commercially used in [Mexico](/source/Mexico) for centuries. Because of its ever-growing popularity and since the most sought after part of the plant is its bark, the cuachalalate was as of 2004 considered an [endangered species](/source/Endangered_species).[1] The *Amphipterygium adstringens* tree's height ranges from 4–8.5 m high. The distinguishing factor of this tree is its bark. Its bark is wrinkled, grayish in color and verrucose, with corky protuberances. Its branches are usually covered with scars of fallen leaves and may be bare or covered with fine hair-like structures. Its leave arrangements is imparipinnate with petioles that average 5.4 cm in length. It usually has 3-7 leaflets leaf. These leaflets have a cuneate base and an obtuse or rounded apex, its margin is dentate or crenate. *A. adstringens* can be differentiated from the other members of the *Amphipterygium* genus by the shape of its terminal leaflets, which is spathulate, and has dentate margins on the distal half of the leaflet.[2] ## Distribution *Amphypterygium adstringens* is distributed in central and southern Mexico in deciduous forests,[1] near the mountain and pacific slope regions, in the southern center part of the State of [Jalisco](/source/Jalisco), [Michoacán](/source/Michoac%C3%A1n), [Morelos](/source/Morelos), [Estado de Mexico](/source/Estado_de_Mexico), [Puebla](/source/Puebla), [Guerrero](/source/Guerrero) and [Oaxaca](/source/Oaxaca). This plant usually blooms in the summer, from June to August, and tends to fructify (produce fruits) from August to January.[2] ## Habitat and ecology *Amphipterygium adstringens* grows in hot temperatures in deciduous jungles or *[Quercus](/source/Quercus)* and *[Ilex](/source/Ilex)* forests.[1] ## Flowers and fruit The male inflorescence is about 8.6 cm long. The male flower is actinomorphic. Its floral peduncle averages at .95 cm in length. There are 6-8 sepals on the flower all ranging from 1.2mm-2mm, these are tomentose (covered densely with hair at youngness), but at maturity they are pilose (the hair elongates and softens forming a plush surface). The stamen is short, with a filament averaging at only .28mm in length. The anthers, like the mature sepals, are also covered with long, fine hairs.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]The female inflorescence is in raceme about 1.3 cm in length. These generally contain 2-4 flowers. The pistils are bifurcate. The style is cylindrical and about 2–3 mm long.[2]*Amphipterygium adstringens* is [dioecious](/source/Dioecious), with male and female flowers on separate individuals.[3] ### Medicinal Cuachalalate is a legendary plant in Mexico believed to have curative effects. The most sought after part of the plant is its bark. This bark is believed to cure malaria, stomach cancer, gastric ulcers and kidney sicknesses.[2] Many people in Mexico also use the Cuachalalate to harden their gums.[4] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cib.uaem.mx_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cib.uaem.mx_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-cib.uaem.mx_1-2) ["Boletín 10 y 11"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101012154040/http://www.cib.uaem.mx/agebiol/bol_junio_julio2004.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.cib.uaem.mx/agebiol/bol_junio_julio2004.htm#Cuachalalate) on 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2012-05-01. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ibugana.cucba.udg.mx_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ibugana.cucba.udg.mx_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ibugana.cucba.udg.mx_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-ibugana.cucba.udg.mx_2-3) ["A revision of the genus Amphipterygium (Julianiaceae)"](http://ibugana.cucba.udg.mx/pdf/ibugana_13%281%29.pdf) (PDF). *Ibugana.cucba.udg.mx*. pp. 27–47. Retrieved 16 March 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bachelier, Julien B.; Endress, Peter K. (2007). "Development of Inflorescences, Cupules, and Flowers in *Amphipterygium* and Comparison with *Pistacia*(Anacardiaceae)". *International Journal of Plant Sciences*. **168** (9): 1237–1253. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1086/521795](https://doi.org/10.1086%2F521795). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [83544619](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:83544619). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Standley_4-0)** Standley, Paul Carpenter (1920). [*Trees and Shrubs of Mexico pt.3*](https://archive.org/details/treesshrubsofmex01stan). New York: Washington, Govt. Print. Off. p. [673](https://archive.org/details/treesshrubsofmex01stan/page/673). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1151260541](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1151260541). {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date)) Taxon identifiers Amphipterygium adstringens Wikidata: Q1960736 Wikispecies: Amphipterygium adstringens BOLD: 416889 CoL: D5CQ GBIF: 3661100 GRIN: 312558 iNaturalist: 209860 IPNI: 442506-1 IUCN: 136749685 NCBI: 124857 Open Tree of Life: 983814 Plant List: kew-2634734 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:442506-1 Tropicos: 16800004 WFO: wfo-0000531841 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Amphipterygium adstringens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphipterygium_adstringens) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphipterygium_adstringens?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.