Medicinal Plant Images

Petalostigma is an Australian genus of the Euphorbiaceae family. The genus consists of seven species, including Petalostigma pubescens and Petalostigma triloculare, which are collectively known as ‘quinine tree’. Both trees grow to between 2 to 10 metres in height, with bright orange fruit. Infusions of P. pubescens and P. triloculare bark or fruit were used in traditional Australian Aboriginal medicine for relieving

sore eyes and as an antiseptic.1 Indeed, Petalostigma spp. were used extensively by Australian Aborigines to treat a myriad of bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.1 Recent studies have demonstrated that fruit and leaf extracts of these species have broad spectrum antibacterial activity.2,3 Furthermore, those extracts were powerful potentiators of the activity of conventional antibiotics (particularly tetracycline), even in antibiotic resistant bacterial strains.3 Fruit of both species were also held in the mouth by Australian Aborigines to relieve toothache.1