Description

Introduction

Bobinsana is a shrubby tree that grows 4 to 6 meters high that is usually found alongside rivers and streams in the Amazon Basin. It is native to South America and can be found in the Amazon regions of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. This water-loving tree is especially abundant on the banks of the Huallaga and Mayo rivers in Eastern Peru. Bobinsana can also be found alongside streams in the cloud forests and warmer valleys of the Eastern Andean slopes up to 1500 meters in elevation. Bobinsana produces pretty pink to reddish powderpuff-like flowers typical of the Mimosa family to which it belongs. The tree produces a usable resinous gum that is sometimes extracted and sold commercially.

PLANT CHEMICALS The chemical constituents in bobinsana are not well documented. It is believed to contain harmala alkaloids, amino acids, cyanogenic glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and sterols. Two studies reports the presence of several pipecolic acids.