Uncaria
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Uncaria is a genus of plants known colloquially as "Gambier", "Cat's Claw" or "Uña de Gato", which are found in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Malaysian Gambier (U. gambir) is a large tropical vine with typical rubiaceous leaves, which are opposite and about 10 cm long. At the base of the leaves is a cat-like claw, so the South American U. tomentosa is called Uña de Gato. There is also a Chinese species, U. sinensis. The flowers also originate at the base of the leaves; each pair of leaves may have a pair of globular inflorescences.
Species
- Uncaria acida Hunter (Malaysia)
- Uncaria africana G.Don (tropical Africa)
- Uncaria africana subsp. angolensis ( Havil. ) C.E.Ridsdale (Angola)
- Uncaria africana subsp. lacus-victoriae Verdc. (Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania)
- Uncaria appendiculata Benth. (New Guinea)
- Uncaria appendiculata ssp. longiflora
- Uncaria attenuata Korth. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria avenia Valeton (New Guinea)
- Uncaria barbata Merr. (Borneo)
- Uncaria barbata Merr. (New Guinea)
- Uncaria bernaysii F.Muell. (New Guinea)
- Uncaria bernaysioides Merr. & L.M.Perry (New Guinea)
- Uncaria borneensis Havil (Borneo)
- Uncaria brevicarpa Elmer (Philippines)
- Uncaria bulusanensis Elmer (Philippines)
- Uncaria callophylla Korth. (Borneo)
- Uncaria canescens Korth (Malaysia)
- Uncaria celebica Koord. (Sulawesi)
- Uncaria cirrhiflora Roxb. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria clavisepala Elmer (Philippines)
- Uncaria cordata ( Lour.) Merr. (tropical E. Asia)
- Uncaria dasyoneura Korth. (Malaysia, Sri Lanka)
- Uncaria donisii E.Petit (Congo)
- Uncaria dosedlae A.Gilli (New Guinea)
- Uncaria elliptica R.Br. & G.Don (Malaysia)
- Uncaria eurhyncha Miq.
- Uncaria ferrea DC. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria florida Vidal (Philippines)
- Uncaria forbesii Wernham (New Guinea)
- Uncaria gambir Roxb. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria glabrata DC. (Java)
- Uncaria glabrescens Merr. & L.M.Perry (Solomon Islands)
- Uncaria glaucescens Craib (Thailand)
- Uncaria grandifolia Baker (Borneo)
- Uncaria guianensis J.F.Gmel. (Guyana)
- Uncaria havilandiana S.Moore (New Guinea)
- Uncaria hirsuta Havil. (China)
- Uncaria homomalla Miq. (East India, Malaysia)
- Uncaria hookeri Vidal (Philippines)
- Uncaria inermis Valeton (New Guinea)
- Uncaria intermedia Valeton (New Guinea)
- Uncaria jasminiflora Wall. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria kawakamii Hayata & Hayata (Taiwan)
- Uncaria korrensis Kanehira (Palau)
- Uncaria kunstleri King (Malaysia)
- Uncaria laevifolia Elmer (Philippines)
- Uncaria lancifolia Hutchinson (China)
- Uncaria lanosa Wall. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria lanosa f. gynogumna C.E.Ridsdale (Borneo)
- Uncaria lanosa f. sumatrana C.E.Ridsdale (Sumatra)
- Uncaria lobbii Hook.f. (Singapore)
- Uncaria luzoniensis Merr. (Philippines)
- Uncaria macrophylla Wall. (SE Asia)
- Uncaria membranifolia How (China)
- Uncaria nemorosa Korth (Sumatra)
- Uncaria nervosa Elmer (Philippines)
- Uncaria oligoneura Korth. (Borneo)
- Uncaria orientalis Guillaumin (New Hebrides)
- Uncaria ovalifolia Roxb (Malaysia)
- Uncaria ovata R.Br. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria pachyphylla Merr. (Philippines)
- Uncaria parviflora Ridl. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria paucinervis Teijsm. & Binn. (Java)
- Uncaria pedicellata Roxb. (Moluccas)
- Uncaria philippinensis Elmer (Philippines)
- Uncaria philippinensis Elmer (Himalayas, Myanmar)
- Uncaria pilosa Roxb. (Himalayas)
- Uncaria pteropoda Miq. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria quadrangularis Geddes (Thailand)
- Uncaria rhynchophylloides How (China)
- Uncaria rostrata Pierre ex Pitard (Cambodia)
- Uncaria roxburghiana Korth. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria schlenckerae S.Moore (New Guinea)
- Uncaria sclerophylla Roxb (Myanmar, Malaysia)
- Uncaria sclerophylloides Valeton (New Guinea)
- Uncaria sessilifructus Roxb. (Himalayas, Myanmar)
- Uncaria setiloba Benth (Java)
- Uncaria sinensis Havil. (= Nauclea sinensis)
- Uncaria speciosa Wall. & G.Don (Malaysia))
- Uncaria sterrophylla Merr. & L.M.Perry (New Guinea)
- Uncaria surinamensis Miq (Guyana)
- Uncaria talbotii Wernham (Nigeria)
- Uncaria tomentosa DC (South America)
- Uncaria tomentosa var. dioica Bremek. (Surinam)
- Uncaria tonkinensis Havil. (SE Asia)
- Uncaria toppingii Merr. (Borneo)
- Uncaria trinervis Havil. (Malaysia)
- Uncaria uraiensis Hayata (Taiwan)
- Uncaria velutina Havil (Philippines)
- Uncaria wallichii Korth. (SE Asia)
- Uncaria wangii How (China)
- Uncaria wrayi King (Malaysia)
- Uncaria yunnanensis K.C.Hsia (China)
Ref: IPNI
Uses
Gambier is used in Malaysia for chewing with areca and betel, for tanning, and for dyeing.
Cat's claw and the Chinese species are used medicinally. Cat's claw has two varieties depending on whether the alkaloids have four rings or five; the five-ring alkaloid variety is medicinal and is called "savéntaro" by the Asháninka.