Essential Oils from the Leaves of Some Queensland Annonaceae

Journal of Essential Oil Research: JEOR, Mar/Apr 2004 by Brophy, Joseph, Goldsack, Robert, Forster, Paul

The genus Uvaria L. has about 100 species in the Old World tropics (1). Uvaria was included in the Uvaria group of annonaceous genera, together with Balonga Le Thomas, Tetrapetalum Miq., Ellipeia Hook. f. et Thomson, Ellipeiopsis R.E.Fries, Sapranthus Seeman, Stenanona Standley, Afroguatteria Boutique, Tetrameranthus R.E.Fries, Sageraea Dalz., Dendrokingstonia (Hook. f. et Thomson) Rauschert, Stelechocarpus (Blume) Hook. f. et Thomson, Dasoclema Sincl., Hexalobus A.DC., Cleistopholis Pierre ex Engl., Greenwayodendron Verde. and Mkilua Verdc. (1). These genera all share the features of the flowers being leaf-opposed, the petals imbricate, and the several ovules being laterally arranged (1). Three species of Uvaria occur in Australia, with two in Queensland. Uvaria rufa Blume occurs on Cape York Peninsula, and is also found in Malesia. This species grows in semi-deciduous notophyll vineiorest on laterized sandstones or granites. It is a robust vine or scandent shrub and has large red flowers. On Murray Island in Torres Strait it is known as 'Beuri Beuri.' The fruits are eaten and the scented root is mixed with coconut oil for use on hair (label data of M. Lawrie AQ003863) (BRI). Uvaria concava Teijsm. et Binnend. (syn. U. membranacea Benth.) also occurs on Cape York Peninsula, but extends further south to Cairns. It is of similar appearance to U. rufa and occurs in much the same habitats. The butterfly Graphium eurypylusilycaon (C. et R.Felder) utilizes both of these species as host-plants (3). Leaf oil analyses have boon reported for several extra-Australian species of Uvaria (13,23), notably U. chamae P.Beauv. (12,23,24), U. purpurea (25), U. narum Wall. (26-29) and U. kirkii Hook. f. (30). African and Indian species of Uvaria are used in traditional medicine (24,26-28).

With the exception of C. odorata, none of the species of Annonaceae discussed in this paper have had their leaf oils examined before. With the exception of Artabotrys, to the best of our knowledge no leaf oils of species Cyathostemma, Goniothalamus and Mitrephora have ever been previously analyzed.

Experimental

Field sampling: Samples of two individual trees and a bulk sample from a further three were obtained from the following populations: Artabotrys sp. (Claudie River B.Gray 3240), PIF25240, cult. Tolga ex Lamond Hill, Qld, 12�43'S, 143�19'E. Cananga odorata, RJG817, Silky Oaks near Mossnian, Qld, 16�27'S, 144�53'E; PIF27640, Nyleta Creek, Qld, 17�48'S, 145�56'E. Cyathostemma micranthum, PIF19386, Bolt Head, Temple Bay, Qld, 12�15'S, 143�05'E. Goniothalamnus australis, PIF21750, Wooroonooran NP, Qld, 17� 23'S, 145� 46'E; PIF21941, TR66, 12km along Mt Lewis road, Qld, 16�35'S, 145�15'E. Mitrephora zippeliana, PIF21306, Confluence of Leo Creek and Nesbit River, Silver Plains, Qld, 13�31'S, 143�29'E; PIF 19468, Rocky River Scrub, Silver Plains, 13�48'S, 143�28'E. Uvaria concava, PIF 19413, Bolt Head, Temple Bay, Qld, 12�14'S, 143�05'E; PIF25238, cult Tolga ex Claudie River, Qld, 12�43'S, 143�16'E; U. rufa, PIF19435, Bolt Head, Qld, 12�14'S, 143�05'E; PIF24635, Chester River, Silver Plains, Qld, 13�40'S, 143�30'E; PIF25237, cult Tolga, ex Possum scrub, Weipa, Qld, 12�27'S, 142�09'E. All PIF and the RJG voucher samples are lodged at the Queensland Herbarium (BRI.)