"Sapium glandulatum Complex" (Euphorbiaceae)

"Sapium glandulatum COMPLEX'' (EUPHORBIACEAE)^*

Luci de Senna Valle¹ and Maria Auxiliadora C. Kaplan^1,2

¹Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

2Núcleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

The genus Sapium Jacq belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and it is formed mainly by neotropical species. The known "Sapium glandulatum Complex'' shows controversy points in its characterization that need to be clarified. Two species Sapium glandulatum (Vell.) Pax and S. sellowianum (Mull. Arg.) Huber were selected for a detailed analysis in order to achieve better taxonomic positions. Studies on palinology, anatomical and chemical ecology, for the first time have been realized for this differentiation between them. The obtained results about pollen grain ornamentation showed clear differentiation between these species. The stomata distribution was another taxonomic character that helped to separate the two considered species. S. glandulatum showed anfistomatic leaves while for S. sellowianum the presented leaves are hipostomatics. Leaf epicuticular waxes were extracted from the two species and evaluated monthly for one and half year. Thus the variability of leaf waxes and water contents as well as leaf condensed tannins and total phenolic compounds could be esteemed and correlated with meteorological data. The epicuticular waxes showed to contain n-hydrocarbons, preferentially with odd carbon number chains, that were useful to distinguish the two refered Sapium species. While S. glandulatum, either from forest or from restinga, produces the major hydrocarbon constituents having C₂₇ and C₂₉ chains, S. sellowianum has the two main hydrocarbons with C₂₅ and C₂₇ chains. Search for essential oils was unsuccessful for the tried plants. Chromatographic profile pointed out the presence of forbol ester (TPA) in S. glandulatum and S. sellowianum. Preliminary studies on analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of leaf aqueous extracts from S. glandulatum and S. sellowianum gave good results. This plant material showed to have toxic property and to be skin irritant. The obtained results brought new knowledge on the "Sapium glandulatum Complex'' involved taxa and allowed the identification of S. glandulatum and S. sellowianum as distinct species.

— ( November 23, 1999 ) .

*

Supported by: CNPq/CAPES.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  07 Aug 2000
• Date of issue
  June 2000