Manchineel

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Dutch, Venezuela, Spanish

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Arrow, Cathartic, Diuretic, Dropsy

Science studied: 12-DEOXY-5-HYDROXYPHORBOL-6GAMMA,7ALPHA-OXIDE, HIPPOMANINS, PHLORACETOPHENONE-2,4-DIMETHYLETHER, SAPOGENIN

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

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

Names and identity

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Scientific name: Hippomane mancinella

Common names: Manchineel, Copacul morții, Hippomane, Mancenilheira, Mancenillier, Manchineel (EN); Arbol del diablo (ES), Manchineel Tree, Manchinelbaum, Manganeel Tree, Mansalina, Mansaniya, Manszanilyafa, Manzalina, Manzaliña, Manzaliña Brabu, Manzallenja, Manzana, Manzanilla

POWO: 349995-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti, Elsewhere, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Dutch, Venezuela and 9 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Arrow
• Cathartic
• Diuretic
• Dropsy
• Emetic
• Fatality
• Infection
• Piscicide

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Guatemala
• Mexico
• Haiti
• Elsewhere
• Dominican Republic
• Cuba
• Dutch
• Venezuela
• Spanish
• Guiana
• West Indies
• US(Florida)

Documented cultural uses

• Arrow
• Cathartic
• Diuretic
• Dropsy
• Emetic
• Fatality
• Infection
• Piscicide
• Poison
• Poison(Arrow)
• Syphilis
• Tetanus

Cultural record detail

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

• Arrow · Guatemala · "
• Arrow · Mexico · "
• Cathartic · Haiti · "
• Cathartic · Elsewhere · "
• Diuretic · Dominican Republic · "
• Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
• Dropsy · Haiti · "
• Emetic · Mexico · "
• Fatality · Elsewhere · "
• Infection · Cuba · "
• Piscicide · Elsewhere · "
• Poison · Dutch · "
• Poison · Elsewhere · "
• Poison · Guatemala · "
• Poison · Mexico · "
• Poison · Venezuela · "
• Poison · Haiti · "
• Poison(Arrow) · Elsewhere · "
• Syphilis · Spanish · "
• Syphilis · Haiti · "
• Tetanus · Cuba · "
• Vermifuge · Guiana · "
• Vesicant · Guatemala · "
• Wart · Cuba · "

14 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

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

• Insights into the differences related to the resistance mechanisms to the highly toxic fruit <i>Hippomane mancinella</i> (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae) between the larvae of the sister species <i>Anastrepha acris</i> and <i>Anastrepha ludens</i> (Diptera: Tephritidae) through comparative transcriptomics. · 2024 source ↗
• Insights into the Interaction between the Monophagous Tephritid Fly Anastrepha acris and its Highly Toxic Host Hippomane mancinella (Euphorbiaceae). · 2020 source ↗
• Severity of manchineel fruit (Hippomane mancinella) poisoning: A retrospective case series of 97 patients from French Poison Control Centers. · 2019 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• 12-DEOXY-5-HYDROXYPHORBOL-6GAMMA,7ALPHA-OXIDE
• HIPPOMANINS
• PHLORACETOPHENONE-2,4-DIMETHYLETHER
• SAPOGENIN
• MANCINELLIN
• PHYSOSTIGMINE

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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