Virola

Genus of plants

Virola

Canopy of Virola koschnyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Magnoliids
Order:  | Magnoliales
Family:  | Myristicaceae
Genus:  | Virola
Aubl. (1775)
Species[1]

71; see text

Virola is a genus of flowering plants in the nutmeg family, Myristicaceae. It includes medium-sized trees native to rainforests of the tropical Americas, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil.[1] Species are known commonly as epená, patricá, or cumala. They have glossy, dark green leaves and clusters of tiny yellow flowers, and may emit a pungent odor.

## Traditional use

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Several species of this genus have been used to create hallucinogenic snuff powders.[2]

## Chemical constituents

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The tops of Virola oleifera have been shown to produce lignan-7-ols and verrucosin that have antifungal action regarding Cladosporium sphaerospermum in doses as low as 25 micrograms. Lignan-7-ols oleiferin-B and oleiferin-G worked for Cladosporium cladosporioides starting as low as 10 micrograms.[3]

## Species

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71 species are accepted.[1]

* Virola aequatorialis Muriel & Balslev
* Virola aguarunana D.Santam.
* Virola albidiflora Ducke
* Virola allenii D.Santam. & Aguilar
* Virola alvaroperezii D.Santam.
* Virola amistadensis D.Santam.
* Virola bicuhyba (Schott) Warb.
* Virola bombuscaroensis D.Santam.
* Virola caducifolia W.A.Rodrigues
* Virola calimensis D.Santam.
* Virola calophylla (Spruce) Warb.[4]
* Virola calophylloidea Markgr.
* Virola carinata (Spruce ex Benth.) Warb.
* Virola chrysocarpa D.Santam. & Aguilar
* Virola coelhoi W.A.Rodrigues
* Virola cogolloi D.Santam.
* Virola crebrinervia Ducke
* Virola cumala D.Santam.
* Virola cuspidata (Benth.) Warb.
* Virola decorticans Ducke
* Virola divergens Ducke
* Virola dixonii Little
* Virola duckei A.C.Sm.
* Virola elongata (Benth.) Warb.
* Virola flexuosa A.C.Sm.
* Virola fosteri D.Santam.
* Virola gardneri (A.DC.) Warb.
* Virola guatemalensis (Hemsl.) Warb.
* Virola guggenheimii W.A.Rodrigues
* Virola koschnyi Warb.
* Virola kwatae Sabatier
* Virola laevigata Standl.
* Virola lieneana Paula & E.P.Heringer
* Virola loretensis A.C.Sm.
* Virola macrocarpa A.C.Sm.
* Virola malmei A.C.Sm.
* Virola marleneae W.A.Rodrigues
* Virola megacarpa A.H.Gentry
* Virola michelii Heckel
* Virola micrantha A.C.Sm.
* Virola minutiflora Ducke
* Virola mollissima (Poepp. ex A.DC.) Warb.
* Virola montana D.Santam.
* Virola multicostata Ducke
* Virola multiflora (Standl.) A.C.Sm.
* Virola multinervia Ducke
* Virola nobilis A.C.Sm.
* Virola obovata Ducke
* Virola officinalis Warb.
* Virola otobifolia D.Santam.
* Virola parkeri D.Santam. & Lagom.
* Virola parvifolia Ducke
* Virola pavonis (A.DC.) A.C.Sm.
* Virola peruviana (A.DC.) Warb.
* Virola polyneura W.A.Rodrigues
* Virola reidii Little
* Virola rugulosa (Spruce) Warb.
* Virola sanguinea D.Santam.
* Virola schultesii A.C.Sm.
* Virola sebifera Aubl.
* Virola sessilis (A.DC.) Warb.
* Virola steyermarkii W.A.Rodrigues
* Virola subsessilis (Benth.) Warb.
* Virola surinamensis (Rol. ex Rottb.) Warb.
* Virola theiodora (Spruce ex Benth.) Warb. (synonym Virola rufula Warb.)
* Virola tuckerae D.Santam. & Lagom.
* Virola urbaniana Warb.
* Virola venosa (Benth.) Warb.
* Virola villosa (Benth.) Warb.
* Virola weberbaueri Markgr.
* Virola yasuniana D.Santam.

## Gallery

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* Virola elongata fruit

* Virola elongata seeds

* Virola carinata embryo

* Virola sebifera

* Virola surinamensis

## Legal status

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### United States

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#### Louisiana

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Except for ornamental purposes, growing, selling or possessing Virola spp. is prohibited by Louisiana State Act 159.

## See also

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* Myristica — some species of this genus have been reclassified into Virola.
* Ayahuasca
* Entheogen
* Psychedelic plants

## References

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### Notes

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1. ^ a b c Virola Aubl. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
2. ^ Torres, C. M., et al. (1991). "Snuff powders from pre-Hispanic San Pedro de Atacama: Chemical and contextual analysis". Current Anthropology, 640–649. Archived 2016-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Sartorelli, P.; Young, M.C.M.; Kato, M.J., "Antifungal lignans from the arils of Virola oleifera"[permanent dead link‍]. Phytochemistry-Oxford. Oxford : Elsevier Science Ltd. March 1998. v. 47 (6) p. 1003–1006.
4. ^ "Virola calophylla". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-04-29.

### General references

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* Jonathan Ott – Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines (2001) ISBN 1-888755-02-4
* Richard Evans Schultes – Plants of the Gods (1992) ISBN 0-89281-979-0
* Erowid Virola Vault

## External links

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* Media related to Virola at Wikimedia Commons
* Sura.ots.ac.cr: Virola koschnyi — photos and info.
* Gardening.eu: Info on Growing Virola

Taxon identifiers

Virola|

* Wikidata: Q2564443
* Wikispecies: Virola
* CoL: 63VP2
* EoL: 49116
* EPPO: 1VIRG
* GBIF: 3152843
* GRIN: 12724
* iNaturalist: 182222
* IPNI: 27256-1
* IRMNG: 1306498
* ITIS: 18122
* NCBI: 224865
* Open Tree of Life: 206490
* Paleobiology Database: 259514
* PLANTS: VIROL
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:27256-1
* Tropicos: 40024553
* WFO: wfo-4000040336

Authority control databases: National |

* United States
* Israel

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