Maytenus dhofarensis
Maytenus dhofarensis is a species of plant in the family Celastraceae and is found in Oman and Yemen. It is an intricately branched spiny shrub or small tree with its leaves arranged alternately or clustered on short shoots. The flowers have white or cream petals and the fruit are purple or red. It is threatened by habitat loss.[2]
| Maytenus dhofarensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Celastrales |
| Family: | Celastraceae |
| Genus: | Maytenus |
| Species: | M. dhofarensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Maytenus dhofarensis Sebsebe | |
Description
Maytenus dhofarensis is a spiny shrub or small tree often forming more or less impenetrable thickets and growing throughout the escarpment woodlands and extending into the drier summit plateaux areas. Maytenus dhofarensis may be mistaken for M. senegalensis and the two species are not differentiated in local expertise.[2]
Taxonomy and naming
Maytenus dhofarensis was first formally described in 1985 by Sebsebe Demissew and the description was published in Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses.[3] The specific epithet (dhofarensis) refers to Dhofar where this species is found.
Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to Dhofar in Oman. These shrubs grow widely throughout Dhofar in drier areas as well as in monsoon areas.
Uses and cultivation
Cut branches were traditionally popular as building material for pens and enclosures, for perimeter fences around the settlement compounds, for building partitions or to make a dense barrier across a cave mouth, or the 'door' due to the vicious thorns that were considered to cause more pain and difficulty of extraction.[2]
Maytenus dhofarensis provides adequate firewood, however unpleasant thorns make it difficult to handle. If well known hardwood trees were absent, the wood of a well developed maytenus specimen would be used to make such vital weapons as a double-ended throwing stick and a knobbed club.
Camels browse on the foliage but cattle are unenthusiastic. Goats eat the leaves and especially the flowers of M. dhofarensis, however the fruit is poisonous and can cause the goat to fall ill with shivering attacks and develop a raised temperature.
Wider uses
Many species of Maytenus are important in traditional medicine, and another species in the Celastraceae, Catha edulis, grown in the mountains of south-west Arabia and Ethiopia is the sources of Qat. In Yemen, the leaves of Maytenus species are used to make a tisane which is drunk to relieve pains in the stomach; the roots of Maytenus senegalensis are chipped into shavings and added to beer to be drunk as an aphrodisiac in parts of Africa. Researchers have also been able to isolate the active compound maytanisne from M. buchanii, which is on trial as a possible chemotherapeutic drug against cancer.[2]
References
- Ghazanfar, S.A. (1998). "Maytenus dhofarensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T34598A9873708. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T34598A9873708.en. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- Miller, Anthony G. illustrated by Susanna; Morris, Miranda; Stuart-Smith, Susanna (illustrator) (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the southern region of Oman: traditional, economic, and medicinal uses (1st ed.). Muscat: Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman. p. 98. ISBN 0715708082.
- "Maytenus dhofarensis". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 30 November 2017.