Breonadia

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Speciesbox | name = Matumi | display_parents = 3 | genus = Breonadia | species = salicina | image = Matumi (Breonadia salicina) (14051121753).jpg | image2 = Breonadia salicina 12884228.jpg | image2_caption = Matumi in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Sayer, C. |year=2019 |title=''Breonadia salicina'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T61957613A61957616 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T61957613A61957616.en |access-date=28 March 2024}}</ref> | parent_authority = Ridsdale | authority = (Vahl) Hepper & J.R.I.Wood | range_map = Breonadia salicina IUCN range 2018.svg | range_map_caption = IUCN distribution of Breonadia salicina (as of 2018) | synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | * ''Adina galpinii'' Oliv. * ''Adina lasiantha'' K.Schum. * ''Adina microcephala'' (Delile) Hiern * ''Adina spathellifera'' (Baker) Oliv. * ''Breonadia microcephala'' (Delile) Ridsdale * ''Cephalanthus coriaceus'' K.Schum. * ''Cephalanthus spathelliferus'' Baker * ''Nauclea microcephala'' Delile * ''Nauclea verticillata'' Baill. * ''Nerium salicinum'' Vahl }} | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{citation |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-24354 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |access-date=10 December 2015}}</ref> }} '''''Breonadia''''' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by {{ill|Colin Ernest Ridsdale|es}} in 1975.<ref name="Ridsdale1975">{{cite journal|last=Ridsdale|first=CE|year=1975|title= A revision of the tribe Cephalantheae (Rubiaceae)|journal=Blumea|volume=22|page=549|url=https://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/525555}}</ref> The genus contains only one species, viz. '''''Breonadia salicina''''', which is found in tropical and southern Africa from Mali and Benin east to Ethiopia, south to South Africa, as well as Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Madagascar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=24352|title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|website=apps.kew.org|language=en|access-date=2017-08-01}}</ref>

''Breonadia salicina'' ('''Matumi''', {{langx|af|Mingerhout}}, {{langx|st|Mohlomê}}, {{langx|ve|Mutu-lume}}, {{langx|zu|Umfomfo}}) is a protected tree in South Africa.<ref name="dwaf">{{cite web |url=http://www2.dwaf.gov.za/dwaf/cmsdocs/4116___poster%20protected%20trees.pdf |title=Protected Trees |date=3 May 2013 |publisher=Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Republic of South Africa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705085122/http://www2.dwaf.gov.za/dwaf/cmsdocs/4116___poster%20protected%20trees.pdf |archive-date=2010-07-05 }}</ref>

==Characteristics== ''Breonadia salicina'' is a medium to large evergreen tree. The leaves occur alternately or in whorls of 3 to 5. The leaf shape is generally lanceolate and the leaf margin is entire. They are leathery to the touch and usually a dark green with yellow on the midrib, which is slightly raised.<ref name=zimbabwe>{{cite web |last1=Hyde |first1=Mark |last2=Wursten |first2=Bart |last3=Ballings |first3=Petra |last4=Coates Palgrave |first4=Meg|title=Breonadia salicina (Vahl) Hepper & J. R. I. Wood |url=http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=155150|website=Flora of Zimbabwe|access-date=21 October 2015}}</ref> The fruit is a capsule and they cluster in small spheres.<ref name="zimbabwe"/> The trees are monoecious<ref name=diversity>{{cite journal|last1=Gaafar|first1=Abdel-Rhman|last2=Al-Qurainy |first2=Fahad |last3=Khan |first3=Salim |title=Assessment of genetic diversity in the endangered populations of Breonadia salicina (Rubiaceae) growing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using inter-simple sequence repeat markers|journal=BMC Genetics|date=3 October 2014 |volume=15 |issue=109 |page=109 |pmc=4192337 |pmid=25277598 |doi=10.1186/s12863-014-0109-4 |doi-access=free }}</ref> with flowers that are small and yellow in colour. The tree is generally found in subtropical to tropical climates, mainly in small populations in South Africa to Saudi Arabia and even Madagascar. It can be found in areas up to 2,000 meters above sea level. They usually live on river banks or in the waters of a stream.<ref name="diversity"/>

This species is often used in traditional medicine. Many times the whole plant can be used in treating diseases like arthritis and illnesses like diarrhoea. In one experiment, leaf extracts of ''Breonadia salicina'' helped prevent the growth of bacteria that cause food poisoning.<ref name=antibacterial>{{cite journal|last1=Al-Qurainy|first1=F|last2=Abdel-Rhman|first2=Gaafar|last3=Khan|first3=S|last4=Nadeem|first4=M|last5=Tarroum|first5=M|last6=Alaklabi|first6=A|last7=Thomas|first7=J|title=Antibacterial activity of leaf extract of Breonadia salicina (Rubiaceae), an endangered medicinal plant of Saudi Arabia|journal=Genetics and Molecular Research|date=29 August 2013|volume=12|issue=3|pages=3212–3219|doi=10.4238/2013.august.29.5|pmid=24065664|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Genetic diversity== In a population of ''B. salicina'' in Saudi Arabia, genetic diversity was low within individuals of a single population, but was high between individuals from other populations. This means that the individual small populations of ''B. salicina'' are very different from one another, but very little genetic diversity is present within the small populations. The populations are fairly far apart (the species is endangered) which would account for the high diversity rate between populations. The populations are also small in size and would be noticeably affected by genetic drift.<ref name=diversity /> Tropical trees also must deal with environmental factors such as deforestation and logging.<ref name=Ouinsavi09>{{cite journal|last1=Ouinsavi|first1=Christine|title=Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of a Threatened African Tree Species, Milicia excelsa, Using Nuclear Microsatellites DNA Markers|journal=International Journal of Forestry Research|date=2009|volume=2009|doi=10.1155/2009/210179|pages=1–8|doi-access=free}}</ref> ''B. salicina'' has been used as a source of wood used to build houses and objects.<ref name=German />

Physical characteristics, such as diameter and density of xylem vessels, is due to the plant's genetic makeup, but also many environmental factors as well (for this experiment it was rainfall).<ref name="oxy">{{cite journal |last1=Norstom |first1=Elin |last2=Holmgren |first2=Karin |author-link2=Karin Holmgren |last3=Morth |first3=Carl-Magnus |date=20 April 2005 |title=Rainfall-driven variations in 13C composition and wood anatomy of Breonadia salicina from South Africa between AD 1375 and 1995 |url=https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:198145/FULLTEXT01.pdf |journal=South African Journal of Science |volume=101 |issue=March/April 2005 |pages=162–168 |access-date=21 October 2015}}</ref>

==Medicinal uses== ''Breonadia salicina'' is used in traditional African medicine. Mainly people use the bark to fight diarrhoea and other stomach/digestive tract problems but also use other parts of the plant for different uses. The bark of ''B. salicina'' has been found to be rich in tannins.<ref name=German>{{cite book|last1=Neuwinger|first1=Hans Dieter|title=African Ethnobotany: Poisons and Drugs: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology|date=1994|publisher=Chapman & Hall|location=Stuttgart, Germany}}</ref> Tannins are polyphenols that have been found to help with reducing growth of ''E. coli'' in digestive tracts.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Min|first1=Byeng R.|title=Effect of tannins on the in vitro growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and in vivo growth of generic Escherichia coli excreted from steers.|journal=Journal of Food Protection|date=March 2007|volume=3}}</ref> Leaf extracts of ''B. salicina'' have also been found to reduce activity of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.<ref name=antibacterial /> It is believed that these same anti-bacterial properties of ''B. salicina'' can be used for the preservation of foods.<ref name=antibacterial />

Possible antifungal compounds have also been isolated in ''B. salicina''.<ref name=Fungal>{{cite journal|last1=Mahlo|first1=Salome|title=Antifungal activity of leaf extracts from South African trees against plant pathogens|journal=Crop Protection|date=December 2010|volume=29|issue=12|doi=10.1016/j.cropro.2010.08.015|pages=1529–1533|bibcode=2010CrPro..29.1529M |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/2263/15448/1/Mahlo_Antifungal_2010.pdf|hdl=2263/15448|hdl-access=free}}</ref> The same antifungal compounds in ''B. salicina'' have been found to show activity in protecting oranges from infections.<ref name=Oranges>{{cite book|last=Mahlo|first=Salome|date=2009|title=Characterization and biological activity of antifungal compounds present in Breonadia salicina (Rubiaceae) leaves|publisher=University of Pretoria|url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/24873/Complete.pdf?sequence=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240623223736/https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/24873/Complete.pdf;sequence=8 |archive-date=2024-06-23 }}</ref>

==References== {{Commons category|Breonadia salicina}} {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/qsearch.do?plantName=Breonadia ''Breonadia'' in the World Checklist of Rubiaceae] * {{AfricanPlants|Breonadia salicina}}

Category:Monotypic Rubiaceae genera Category:Naucleeae