Guest Blog Post by Lucía Villaescusa-González and Pablo Muñoz-Rodríguez
Since the first humans learned to distinguish the plant that cured a fever from the one that caused a funeral, we have amassed an extraordinary amount of information about the natural world. Whether used for food, medicine, or shelter, this ethnobotanical knowledge passed down through generations now serves as the foundation for modern experimental research.
Today, researchers explore the world’s plant chemical diversity seeking new compounds and species of medicinal or economic interest. However, discovering these resources and sharing the information effectively depends on one often-overlooked key: naming things correctly.
Taxonomy ensures that, when researchers identify a promising use of a plant, the rest of the scientific community can find that plant again, replicate the results, and build upon them. In a time of accelerated biodiversity loss, taxonomy provides the framework that allows us to document biodiversity and connect knowledge about species before they are lost.
For nearly two decades, our research group has focused on Acalypha, a remarkably diverse genus of flowering plants with approximately 450 species. It is the third largest genus in the family Euphorbiaceae —the same as cassava, poinsettia or the rubber tree— yet many aspects of its biology remain poorly understood. While numerous studies have pointed to the medicinal relevance of Acalypha, the information has historically been scattered across disconnected sources and regions.
To fully explore a plant group’s potential, we must ensure our knowledge is organised and reliable. This is precisely where taxonomy becomes powerful. In a study recently published in PhytoKeys, we compiled, revised, and standardised existing knowledge about Acalypha uses published worldwide between 1816 and 2024.
Our review, published in the open-access journal PhytoKeys, revealed that nearly 25% of the studies we analysed contained at least one taxonomic error. These errors ranged from the use of non-existent names and already outdated synonyms at the time of publication to “impossible” data, such as species allegedly collected for research in countries thousands of kilometres away from their known distribution range.
By verifying every scientific name against current standards, we were able to provide the first standardised, reliable global synthesis of the genus. Furthermore, this process allowed us to clear the “noise” from the literature and identify exactly which species hold the most promise for future research.
A clearer global picture
Once we brough this information together under a robust taxonomic framework, a much clearer picture of Acalypha medicinal uses emerged. We identified 62 species with documented medicinal uses across 55 countries. While the genus is used globally, pharmacological research is heavily concentrated in India, Nigeria, and Mexico.
In contrast, species-rich countries such as Brazil and Madagascar, with over 40 species each, remain significantly underrepresented. Also, while many species are used locally, a few are globally relevant: Acalypha indica, for example, is used to treat 23 different disease categories, while Acalypha wilkesiana, a common ornamental plant, is linked to 18 disease categories.
Our work revealed that these plants are used not just for human medicine; they are used in veterinary medicine, as pesticides targeting disease-carrying insects, and in ritual contexts. In human health, they most frequently target infectious and parasitic diseases, digestive tract issues, and respiratory symptoms.
Finally, we also detected a big gap between traditional use and modern research: of all species recorded in ethnobotanical surveys, 36 have never been studied in a laboratory. They represent a promising avenue for future research and drug discovery.
Why this matters for the future
The relationship between ethnobotany and experimental biology is widely recognised, and taxonomy plays a key role in bridging these fields. Accurate taxonomic knowledge is essential for ensuring scientific discovery and reproducibility.
When experimental research investigates plants that have been incorrectly identified, it leads to the perpetuation of errors in scientific literature. If pharmacological results are based on misidentified specimens, those experiments cannot be replicated, potentially misleading years of subsequent, expensive medical research.
By integrating scattered ethnobotanical reports into a standardised, taxonomically reliable system, we wanted to provide a reliable map for all future Acalypha research. This study proves that precise identification is the basis of scientific discovery.
In an era of accelerated biodiversity loss, applying taxonomy to organise and validate the data we have today ensures the discovery of the medicines of tomorrow.
Original source
Villaescusa-González L, Cardiel JM, Montero-Muñoz I, Muñoz-Rodríguez P (2026) Revisiting Acalypha medicinal interest: ethnobotany, experimental studies, and the implications of taxonomic misuse pitfalls. PhytoKeys 270: 119-142. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.270.169087
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