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Prockia crucis
Prockia crucis, commonly known as guasimilla, is a species of flowering plant in the family Salicaceae, distributed across the Americas. As the type species of its genus, it was first named by Carl Linnaeus in 1759, but described by Patrick Browne earlier. The plant is used in medicine, food, and gardening, with a conservation status of least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Prockia crucis has a very broad distribution, spanning from Mexico to Argentina and encompassing an array of regions. In Mexico, it is found in several states, including Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Veracruz. Its range extends through Central America and into northern and western South America, with occurrences in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Bolivia. In Brazil, the species is widespread, from Acre in the north to Paraná and Santa Catarina in the south, continuing into Uruguay and northern Argentina. Additionally, it is present on numerous Caribbean islands, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Virgin Islands.
Prockia crucis shows notable medicinal potential through its ethanol leaf and bark extracts, which exhibit strong antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, indicating relevance for Alzheimer’s treatment. HPLC analysis revealed key phenolics such as gallic acid, luteolin, kaempferol, and coumarin. Though direct antifungal effects were limited, the extracts enhanced fluconazole efficacy against resistant Candida tropicalis, highlighting their role as antifungal modulators. Outside of testing, the leaves are said to have medicinal qualities, although they are not specified.
Prockia costaricensis · Prockia flava · Prockia jaliscana · Prockia krusei · Prockia oaxacana · Prockia pentamera · Prockia
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prockia crucis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
