Psorospermum febrifugum
Species of plant in family Hypericaceae

Psorospermum febrifugum is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is found across tropical Africa in seasonally dry tropical biomes. French botanist Édouard Spach described Psorospermum febrifugum in 1836.
Description
Psorospermum febrifugum grows as a tree or shrub up to 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) tall. The leaves are directly attached to the stems or have a very short leaf stalk, and are opposite one another. The flowers are covered in fine hairs, with many flowers clustered together on the ends of branches. When the fruit matures, many bunches of dark red berries can be seen.
A phytochemical assay of the species in 1980 isolated a new xanthone that was named psorospermin. Later studies determined that P. febrifugum had a wide array of chemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, and tannins; the species also has higher quantities and densities of these chemicals than Harungana madagascariensis, another member of Hypericaceae with known medicinal qualities.
Uses
Psorospermum febrifugum has been used as a febrifuge, leprosy treatment, antidote, and purgative.
“Psorospermum febrifugum” enters the record as species of plant in family Hypericaceae. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Psorospermum, febrifugum and Species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Psorospermum febrifugum” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Psorospermum, febrifugum and Species provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16965720. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1836 and 1980.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Psorospermum febrifugum”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Psorospermum febrifugum primary sources, Psorospermum febrifugum archive and Psorospermum research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Psorospermum febrifugum”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Psorospermum febrifugum” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.