page_title: Lonchocarpus laxiflorus
section_title: Chemistry and toxicology
hierarchical_section_title: Lonchocarpus laxiflorus / Chemistry and toxicology
context_page_description: Lonchocarpus laxiflorus is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. The tree grows to 4–8 meters in height, has grey or yellowish bark and compound leaves. New leaves are accompanied by purple flowers on multi-branched panicles. The fruit is a glabrous papery pod, usually containing one seed. L. laxiflorus is widely distributed in West Africa, Central Africa, the African Great Lakes, and Northeast Africa. It is found in savanna woodlands and dry forested areas, particularly fringing forest near water courses.
context_section_description: L. laxiflorus has been little studied, though many Lonchocarpus species contain rotenoids, tannins, flavonoids, and isoflavonoids. One study extracted several new compounds from the bark: two isoflavanes (lonchocarpane and laxiflorane) and two pterocarpanes (philonopterane and 9-O-methyl derivative).
  Nothing specific is known about the toxicology of L. laxiflorus, though several Lonchocarpus species are known to cause severe poisoning symptoms.
caption: Skeletal formula of lonchocarpane (R=OMe) or laxiflorane (R=H)