Jojoban

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Abortifacient, Astringent, Emmenagogue, Hair

Science studied: HIRTINE, POLYPHENOLS, SAPONINS, TERPENOIDS

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Meliaceae

Scientific name: Trichilia hirta

Common names: Jojoban, Bois arada, Bois arqada, Boudou, Bresillet batard, Broomstick (Virgin Isl.), Cabo de hacha, Carrapeta, Catiguá, Grosella de monte, Guaban, Guaita, Huevos de tejón, Jacoban, Jacobán, Jobillo, Joboban (Dominican Republic), Jobobán

POWO: 322348-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Abortifacient
• Astringent
• Emmenagogue
• Hair
• Hair-Oil
• Poison
• Purgative
• Stimulant

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Haiti
• Dominican Republic
• Guatemala
• Mexico
• Venezuela

Documented cultural uses

• Abortifacient
• Astringent
• Emmenagogue
• Hair
• Hair-Oil
• Poison
• Purgative
• Stimulant
• Tumor
• Cosmetic
• Cold
• Fever

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Abortifacient · Haiti · "
• Astringent · Dominican Republic · "
• Emmenagogue · Haiti · "
• Hair · Guatemala · "
• Hair-Oil · Mexico · "
• Hair-Oil · Guatemala · "
• Poison · Haiti · "
• Purgative · Mexico · "
• Stimulant · Haiti · "
• Tumor · Venezuela · "
• Cosmetic · Guatemala · "
• Cold · Haiti · "
• Fever · Haiti · "
• Repellant(Flea) · Dominican Republic · "
• Sore · Haiti · "
• Sudorific · Dominican Republic · "
• Insecticide · Haiti · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Insecticidal Activity of Trichilia hirta L. (Sapindales: Meliaceae) Extracts Against Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae and the Identification of Bioactive Compounds. · 2026 source ↗
• Chemical Constituents of Trichilia hirta (Meliaceae). · 2016 source ↗
• Hirtinone, a Novel cycloartane-type triterpene and other compounds from Trichilia hirta L. (Meliaceae). · 2013 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• HIRTINE
• POLYPHENOLS
• SAPONINS
• TERPENOIDS
• D-ACETYLHIRTINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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