Schumanniophyton
Schumanniophyton is a genus of three species of small tree native to west Africa and belonging to the family Rubiaceae. It contains the following species and varieties:Schumanniophyton hirsutum R.D.Good, native from W. Central Tropical Africa to N. Angola.Schumanniophyton magnificum Harms Forest shrub or small tree, 12–16 ft. high, having soft-wooded stems bearing very large leaves. Flowers white or yellow, in a dense cluster subtended by broad bracts and borne at ends of shoots opposite a single leaf and just above a pair of leaves. Native from Nigeria to N. Angola.Schumanniophyton magnificum var. klaineanum N.Hallé, native to Gabon.Schumanniophyton magnificum var. trimerum N.Hallé, native to W. Central Tropical Africa.Schumanniophyton problematicum, Aubrev. Forest tree 20–40 ft. high, having large deciduous leaves grouped in threes at the ends of the branches. Flowers yellowish-white, fragrant. Native from Liberia to Ghana.
Taxonomy
The genus was described by Hermann Harms and published in Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien by Adolf Engler and Karl Anton Eugen Prantl 1: 313 in the year 1897.It is named in honour of German botanist Karl Moritz Schumann who served as curator of the Berlin-Dahlem [Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum|Botanisches Museum] in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894 and also as the first chairman of the Deutsche Kakteen-Gesellschaft which he founded on November 6, 1892.
Uses in traditional medicine
S. magnificum: The bark decoction is used as an enema to treat dysentery and also as a lotion after circumcision having either antiseptic or analgesic properties. The juice of the fresh leaves and extracts prepared from the stem are used in the treatment of snakebite.Possible entheogen
In a paper on the genus Mostuea French botanist, taxonomist and explorer Auguste Chevalier quotes the Catholic priest and renowned authority on Gabonese language and culture, Father André Raponda-Walker as placing an unnamed Gabonese species of Schumanniophyton in the same class of sleep-dispelling, aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic plants as Tabernanthe iboga and Mostuea batesii. The passage runs as follows:"This root" "is considered to possess an action comparable to those of Tabernanthe iboga and Schumanniophyton. It is a potent aphrodisiac and also a stimulant. During nights set aside for dancing, the Blacks chew the roots, whole or grated, to drive away sleep. But the majority consume them during their dances - either on their own or mixed with Iboga - for the sexual excitement which they cause. Excessive use of this drug can lead to cerebral troubles".The aqueous extract of Schumanniophyton magnificum demonstrated aphrodisiac effects in an in vivo study. Specifically, the extract significantly increased mount, ejaculation, and intromission frequencies in male rats compared to a control group. It also significantly doubled serum testosterone levels. UHPLC/MS analysis of the extract identified seven major compounds, including Schumanniofioside A, Noreugenin, and Rohitukine, which possess antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Additionally, the extract significantly increased penile nitric oxide levels. These effects were comparable to those observed with sildenafil citrate, suggesting S. magnificum extract may be a potential alternative for managing erectile dysfunction. This study provides the first scientific investigation into the folkloric use of S. magnificum as an aphrodisiac by the "Baka" Pygmies of Cameroon.