Karwinskia humboldtiana explained

Karwinskia humboldtiana, commonly known as coyotillo, cacachila or Humboldt coyotillo, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the family Rhamnaceae. It is native to southern and western Texas in the United States^[1] as well as much of Mexico. The seeds and leaves of this plant contain the quinones eleutherin and 7-methoxyeleutherin^[2] and chrysophanol and β-amyrin in the fruits^[3] that are toxic to humans and livestock.^[4] The toxins typically induce paralysis, which is often followed by death. However, it often takes days or even weeks after consumption for the symptoms to manifest.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Coyotillo, Humboldt Coyotillo, Tullidora, Capulincillo, Capulincillo Cimmaron, Capulin, Palo Negrito, Margarita, Cacachila, China, Frutillo Negrito, Cochila, Margarita del Cero (Karwinskia humboldtiana) . Texas Native Shrubs . Texas A&M University . 2009-09-23.
2. Antimicrobial agents from higher plants: two dimethylbenzisochromans from Karwinskia humboldtiana. Lester A. Mitscher, Sitaraghav R. Gollapudi, David S. Oburn and Steven Drake, Phytochemistry, Volume 24, Issue 8, 1985, Pages 1681-1683,
3. Chrysophanol and β-amyrin in the fruits of Karwinskia humboldtiana. Xorge Alejandro Domínguez and Leticia Garza, Phytochemistry, Volume 11, Issue 3, March 1972, Page 1186,
4. Web site: Coyotillo . Texas AgriLife Research and Extension at Uvalde . Texas A&M University System . 2000 . 2009-09-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101126123713/http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/kahu.htm . 2010-11-26 . dead .
5. Book: Stewart, Amy. Wicked Plants. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. 2009. 9781565126831. New York. 25.