Description
Medicinal Parts
Medicinal properties have been attributed to the plant's leaves, bark, fruit, and gum resin.
Flower and Fruit
The flowers are in apical, heavily branched, hanging, 5 to 30 cm long panicles. The flowers are small, yellowish-white, and their structures are in fives. The calyx has 5 tips. The flower has 5 petals, 10 stamens, and a superior ovary that develops from a carpel. The style is divided into three. The fruit is a coral red, single-seeded drupe with a diameter of approximately 7 mm, a thin pergamentlike exocarp, an oleo-resin-rich mesocarp, and a hard endocarp.
Leaves, Stem, and Root
The tree is an evergreen, up to 15 m high. The leaves are alternate, up to 25 cm long and odd pinnate. There are 17 to 35 leaflets, 1.6 to 6 cm long, 2 to 8 mm wide, sessile, linear-lanceolate, punctate with oil glands and dentate. The branches hang down.
Characteristics
The leaves give off a pepper-like smell when rubbed; the fruit is aromatic and somewhat sweet.
Habitat
The tree is indigenous to Central America and South America.
Production
California Peppertree (or Peruvian Peppertree) leaves are the leaflets of Schinus molle. California Peppertree fruits are ripe unpeeled drupes of Schinus mollek, which are air- or freeze-dried.
Not to be Confused With
Other Schinus species.
Other Names
Australian Pepper Tree, Brazilian Pepper Tree, False Pepper, Peruvian Mastix Tree, Peruvian Peppertree, Weeping Pepper Tree
Actions & Pharmacology
Compounds: California Peppertree Leaves
Volatile oil (0.2 to 1.0%): chief components including alpha-phellandrene, beta-phellandrene, limonene, including as well T-cadinol, elemol, germacrene D, gamma-eudesmol
Flavonoids: including kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin
Resins
Mucilages
Effects: California Peppertree Leaves
The leaves contain unknown bitter substances and tannins, which make administration for inflammatory alterations of the skin and oral mucous membranes plausible.
Compounds: California Peppertree Fruit
Volatile oil (2.0 to 5.0%): chief components including alpha-phellandrene, beta-phellandrene, limonene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, including as well camphene, carvacrol, p-cymol, 4-ethyl phenol
Triterpenes: including 3-epiisomasticadienolalic acid, 3-epimasticadienolic acid, isomasticadienonic acid, masticadienonic acid
Fatty oil (in the seeds 6 to 14%)
Resins (with long-chained fatty acids, C22 to C28)
Effects: California Peppertree Fruit
The fruit resin is purgative in effect. The essential oil is fungicidal and is said to be excreted primarily through the lungs and the kidneys. No experimental data are available for the traditional areas of administration.
Indications & Usage
California Peppertree Leaves
Unproven Uses
Internal uses in folk medicine include infections of the pharynx, respiratory tract conditions, rheumatism (decoction), for leukorrhea, suppuration of the mucous membranes and hypertension (infusion), for swellings, loss of teeth, conjunctivitis (leaf juice), and as a diuretic. External indications are considered to include uterus prolapse, eye inflammations, joint pains, colds (used as healing baths), as a vulnerary and for rheumatism.
California Peppertree Fruit
Unproven Uses
Used internally as a stomachic, tonic, for nausea, vomiting, anuria, gastric complaints, loss of appetite, conditions of the respiratory tract, blennorrhagia, for muscular pain and as a diuretic. Preparations from the fruit are used externally for rheumatism.
Precautions & Adverse Reactions
California Peppertree Leaves and Fruit
No health hazards are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages.
Dosage
California Peppertree Leaves
Preparation
To prepare an infusion, use 30 g drug to 500 mL water.
Daily Dosage
For inflammation of the mucous membranes, gargle with infusion 3 times daily. For wound cleansing, wash wounds with infusion.
California Peppertree Fruit
Mode of Administration
Whole and cut drug are used in preparations for internal and external use.
Daily Dosage
No information is given in the literature.
Storage
Tightly sealed, cool, dry and protected from light.
