Common Name: Jarilla

General Information

Zuccagnia punctata is an aromatic shrub or a small tree with resinous leaves; it can grow up to 5 metres tall. The bole can be around 20cm in diameter[].
The plant is extensively used in traditional medicine in Argentina[], where it is also a source of various materials for local use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - central Argentina and Chile.

Habitat

Brushland and thickets; at elevations up to 2,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	3.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Zuccagnia punctata is a plant of semi-arid to arid regions in the warm temperate and subtropical zones of Argentina and Chile, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,700 metres[].
Requires a sunny position. Found in the wild on sandy soils.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The aerial parts of the plant, both with or without the flowers or fruits, have been used extensively as a traditional medicine in the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections, and also to treat asthma, arthritis and rheumatism[].
Both an infusion of the leaves and a maceration of them in ethanol are used in traditional medicine as a foot antiseptic and treatment against bacterial and fungal infections, asthma, arthritis and rheumatism[].

The leaves are a rich source of phenolic compounds, being mainly flavonoid derivatives such as flavanones, flavones, chalcones and caffeoyl ester derivates[].
Extracts of the plant have been shown to have antioxidant, antiulcer and antigenotoxic properties as well as antibacterial activity against antibiotic resistant Gram-negative bacteria and Streptococcus pneumoniae[]. Some bioactive phenolic constituents of Z. punctata were also reported[]
2´,4´-dihydroxychalcone was reported as one of the major constituents isolated from the leaf resin[].
The ethanolic extract of the plant, and also the isolated compound 2´ ,4´ -dihydroxychalcone have shown efficient antibacterial activity against antibiotic multi-resistant bacteria isolated from cutaneous infection and phytopathogenic fungi in vitro; as well as antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae in vivo[].
in Argentina for the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections, asthma, arthritis and rheumatism

Other Uses

An alcoholic extraction of the sticky substance in the leaves yields a yellow colouring matter used for fyeing wool[].

The plant is used for crude roofing material[].

The plant is used to provide supports for grape vines[].

The wood is used for fuel[].

Extracts of the leaves have potential for use as a fungicide to protect seed in storage, with an added bonus that they also seem to improve early growth of the seedlings[].
In vitro assays showed that the ethanolic leaf extract has a promising antifungal activity on Fusarium species, including strains of Fusarium verticillioides, which is responsible for corn ear rots. The active principles of the extracts were identified as phenolic compounds recovered in the ethereal fraction, the main ones being 2′,4′-dihydroxychalcone (48%), 2′,4′-dihydroxy-3′-methoxychalcone (32%) and 7-hydroxy-3′,4′-dimethoxyflavone (5%)[].

Propagation

Seed -