Zornia latifolia

Zornia latifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Zornia
Species:	Z. latifolia
Binomial name
Zornia latifolia Sm. [1]
Synonyms [2]
Zornia gracilis Zornia pubescens Zornia surinamensis

Zornia latifolia is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to South America. ^[1] Its distribution may extend into Central and North America. ^[3] It is also known as a naturalized species in tropical western Africa. ^[1] The plant is known commonly as maconha brava. ^[4]

Description

This plant is a perennial herb with a branching stem taking a prostrate form on the ground and growing up to about 50 centimeters long. The leaves are bifoliolate, each made up of two leaflets, which are widely lance-shaped and up to 4 centimeters long. At the base is a stipule up to a centimeter in length. The herbage is hairless to lightly hairy. The inflorescence is a spike of up to 35 yellow flowers each about a centimeter long. The flowers open for only 5 to 10 hours. The bractlets are longer than the flowers and may cover them. The fruit is a spiny, hairy legume pod. ^[5]

Ecology

In its native range it grows in savanna habitat with acidic and low-fertility soils. It tolerates drought, but does not tolerate cold or shade. ^[5] In Africa it grows as a weed in lawns and on roadsides. ^[3]

The plant is susceptible to plant pathogens such as the fungi Sphaceloma zorniae , which causes scab disease, and Meliola species, which cause stunting and distortion of the leaves. Insect pests include the red-necked peanutworm moth (Stegasta bosqueella). ^[5]

Uses

Forage

This legume is a nutritious and palatable forage for livestock. It can be grown as a companion plant to grasses such as Andropogon gayanus and Brachiaria decumbens . ^[5]

Hallucinogen and adulteration

A common component of many synthetic cannabis mixtures producing hallucinogenic effects, such as the street drug, 'Spice', though these mixtures effects are caused by synthetic cannaboids, Zornia latifolia may have cannabis-like effects. ^{[6] [7]} It may be adulterated by a different Fabaceae plant, Stylosanthes guianensis , which is phytochemically different from Zornia latifolia. ^[6] The flavones genistein, apigenin and syzalterin may explain the cannabis-like effects of Zornia latifolia. ^{[6] [8]}

References

1. "Zornia latifolia". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 21 January 2018.
2. Zornia latifolia. The Plant List.
3. Zornia latifolia. Archived 2009-02-09 at the Wayback Machine FAO.
4. Fattore, L. and W. Fratta. (2011). Beyond THC: the new generation of cannabinoid designer drugs. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 5, 60.
5. Zornia latifolia. TropicalForages.
6. Cornara, L.; Fortuna-Perez, A. P.; Bruni, I.; Salis, A.; Damonte, G.; Borghesi, B.; Clericuzio, M. (2018-09-01). "Zornia latifolia: a smart drug being adulterated by Stylosanthes guianensis". International Journal of Legal Medicine. 132 (5): 1321–1331. doi:10.1007/s00414-018-1774-z. hdl: 11449/164509 . ISSN   1437-1596. PMID   29362872. S2CID   12630518.
7. Fattore, Liana; Fratta, Walter (2011). "Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 5: 60. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00060 . ISSN   1662-5153. PMC   3187647 . PMID   22007163.
8. Alloisio, Susanna; Clericuzio, Marco; Nobile, Mario; Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca; Canali, Claudia; Fortuna-Perez, Ana Paula; Cornara, Laura; Burlando, Bruno (2022). "Cannabis-like activity of Zornia latifolia Sm. detected in vitro on rat cortical neurons: major role of the flavone syzalterin". Drug and Chemical Toxicology. 45 (2): 919–931. doi:10.1080/01480545.2020.1788057. hdl: 11449/199084 . ISSN   1525-6014. PMID   32628037.

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