This article is largely based on an article in the out-of-copyright Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, which was produced in 1911. It should be brought up to date to reflect subsequent history or scholarship (including the references, if any). When you have completed the review, replace this notice with a simple note on this article's talk page.(August 2017)
Chemical structure of scammonin I, one of the primary chemical constituents of jalap
Jalap is a cathartic drug, largely obsolete in Western medicine, consisting of the tuberous roots of Ipomoea purga, a convolvulaceous plant growing on the eastern declivities of the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico at an elevation of 5,000 to 8,000 feet (1,500 to 2,400 m) above sea level, more especially about the neighbourhood of Chiconquiaco on the eastern slope of the Cofre de Perote in the state of Veracruz.[1]
Jalap has been known in Europe since the beginning of the 17th century, and derives its name from the city of Xalapa in Mexico, near which it grows, but its botanical source was not accurately determined until 1829, when Dr. J. R. Coxe of Philadelphia published a description.[1]
The ordinary drug is distinguished in commerce as Vera Cruz jalap, from the name of the port whence it is shipped. Jalap has been cultivated for many years in India, chiefly at Ootacamund, and grows there as easily as a yam, often producing clusters of tubers weighing over 9 lb; but these, as they differ in appearance from the commercial article, have not as yet obtained a place in the English market. They are found, however, to be rich in resin, containing 18%. The plant also has been grown in Jamaica, at first amongst the cinchona trees, but more recently in new ground, as it was found to exhaust the soil. Besides Mexican or Vera Cruz jalap, a drug called Tampico jalap has been imported for some years in considerable quantity. It has a much more shrivelled appearance and paler colour than ordinary jalap, and lacks the small, transverse scars present in the true drug. This kind of jalap, the purga de Sierra Gorda of the Mexicans, was traced by Daniel Hanbury to Ipomoea simulans.[1]
Ipomoea jalapa is yet another morning glory species from which jalap is obtained; it was first scientifically described (as Convolvulus jalapa) by Linnaeus. However, it is not of great commercial importance. As it also occurs in Veracruz, it was long confused with I. purga, even by such eminent botanists as David Don, Thomas Nuttall or C.J.W. Schiede. Consequently, the name I. jalapa is often seen as an invalid junior homonym referring to I. purga, in particular in sources older than 1989 (when the confusion was finally resolved). Throughout much of the 20th century, the I. jalapa of Linnaeus was called I. carrizalia.
^ abcOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Jalap". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 130–131.
Jalap is a cathartic drug, largely obsolete in Western medicine, consisting of the tuberous roots of Ipomoea purga, a convolvulaceous plant growing on...
Bhatt Jalap was a Brahmin bard in the court of Guru Arjan, whose five hymns are present in Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs. Jalap Page cxx,...
of flowering plant in the genus Ipomoea. It is commonly referred to as jalap and is probably also the source of the John the Conqueror root. Ipomoea...
in Hortus Third (Bailey, Bailey, et al., 1976, op. cit.) include: cancer jalap, oakum, garget, pocan, and scoke. Further unlisted names that appear at...
Dharyala Jalap is a village and union council, near the Jhelum River, of Jhelum District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is part of Pind Dadan...
and herbalism; for example, Vera Cruz jalap (I. jalapa) and Tampico jalap (I. simulans) are used to produce jalap, a cathartic preparation accelerating...
Mexico from which came a former purgative drug, named jalap, taken from the tubers of the tuberous jalap. Linnaeus refers to all species of Jalapa described...
(1998) Third (2008) "Orang" on .O.rang's album Herd of Instinct (1994) "Jalap" on .O.rang's album Fields and Waves (1996) "Lonely Carousel" on Rodrigo...
glory and the sweet potato. The plant is known in some areas as bindweed or jalap root. It has a pleasant, earthy odor, but it is a strong laxative if taken...
is a glycoside that has been isolated from the stems of Ipomoea purga (jalap plant) and from Convolvulus scammonia (scammony). Noda, N; Kogetsu, H; Kawasaki...
(now Midh Ranjha / Ranmal Sharif) area of Chenab River with his tribe (Jalap) and settled down on the banks of Jhelum River in the plain area of Salt...
freed from heavy and numerous state obligations, such as the tithe, the jalap tax, the slavery tax, and other wastes of the feudal system. The Southern...
Global Information
