Gallery
Strychnine tree — Seed (close)Strychnine tree — Plant & leaves
Strychnine tree — Branch & leaves
Strychnine tree — Flowers
Strychnine tree — Flowers (close)
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Overview
Strychnos nux-vomica is a small tree whose seeds hold strychnine and brucine, potent central-nervous stimulants that cause convulsions even in small doses. Once used medicinally and as rodenticide, it is now tightly controlled for its extreme toxicity.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed & germination
The plant is propagated mainly by **seed**: sow fresh or pre-treated seed in loose, moist soil and keep it evenly damp; germination follows within a few weeks.
Seedling & growth
Seedlings establish, forming leaves and roots; growth rate depends on light and moisture.
Flowering
The plant blooms with **small white flowers, March–May**; pollination is by insects and wind.
Fruiting & harvest
After flowering the plant sets fruit and seed; **yellow-orange ripe fruits harvested for seed, September–December**.
Uses
- Poisonous plant, not edible
- Pharmacology research (controlled)
Properties
- Toxicity
- Very high
- Active compound
- Strychnine
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Strychnos nux-vomica L. — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Strychnos nux-vomica (strychnine tree) — mô tả, độc tính — English Wikipedia, 2026
- 3Mã tiền — đặc điểm, độc tính, dược liệu — Vietnamese Wikipedia, 2026
- 4Nguồn ảnh: Lalithamba (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Dinesh Valke (CC BY-SA 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Vinayaraj (CC BY-SA 3.0/4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: H. Zell (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons,