Mitragyna Speciosa Is Not Alone, There Are Actually 7 Other Species In The Mitragyna Genus
As discussed in a previous article on The Kratom Herald, Mitragyna Speciosa aka Kratom is genetically related to Coffee, since both plants are in the Rubiaceae Family. Things get really interesting however when moving down the taxonomic scale from Family to Genus, with a Genus being a group of Species that are the most closely related.
It ends up that Kratom is not alone, there are actually 7 other Species in the Mitragyna Genus. Interestingly, a plant is defined as being a member of the Mitragyna Genus if it has antimalarial and analgesic indole alkaloids, meaning that all Species in the Mitragyna Genus contain painkilling alkaloids.
Aside from Mitragyna Speciosa, the other members of the Mitragyna Genus that are officially recognized include Mitragyna Diversifolia, Mitragyna Hirsuta, Mitragyna Inermis, Mitragyna Parvifolia, Mitragyna Tubulosa, Mitragyna Rotundifolia, and Miragyna Parvifolia var. Microphylla.
Perhaps one of the most well-known members of the Mitragyna Genus aside from Kratom is Mitragyna Parvifolia, which has traditionally been used to treat jaundice, alleviate pain and swelling, manage fever, manage cough, manage poisoning, and to treat wounds and ulcers. Based on all of these traditional uses it seems possible that Mitragyna Parvifolia contains opioid alkaloids. That being said, the subjective evidence which exists so far suggests that Mitragyna Parvifolia provides nowhere near the nice effects or benefits that Kratom has. That being said, medical researchers should certainly investigate this Species further.
Mitragyna Hirsuta is also a more well-known member of the Mitragyna Genus, and is actually available online. It supposedly lacks Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine, which are the main opioid alkaloids in Mitragyna Speciosa, and primarily it contains Mitraphylline. Despite the lack of opioid alkaloids, there is still apparently some opioid effects like energy, mood lift, and relaxation according to subjective reports, but overall much milder and less reliable than Kratom. Also, supposedly Mitragyna Hirsuta can help manage opioid withdrawal.
Mitragyna Diversifolia is also available online, often sold as Mitragyna Javanica. Although Mitragyna Diversifolia does not contain the primary Kratom opioid alkaloids, it does contain Mitrajavine, which apparently does have some opioid effects. Subjective reports range from Mitragyna Diversifolia being just as good as Kratom to not working at all, with most reports saying that it produces mild euphoria and stimulation. In any case, Mitragyna Diversifolia aka Mitragyna Javanica is considered a top Kratom alternative in places where Kratom is banned.
Mitragyna Inermis is probably almost impossible to find online, but apparently is traditionally used as a diuretic, as well as to manage dysentery, stomach disorders, constipation, and a variety of diseases. This suggests that Mitragyna Inermis has beneficial alkaloids, and possibly some opioid effects, but much more research needs to be done.
As for Mitragyna Tubulosa, there is practically no subjective data available, but scientific research has identified 9 different alkaloids, including the Kratom alkaloids mitraphylline and isomitraphylline. Likewise, some of the alkaloids of Mitragynine Rotundifolia have been identified, including the Kratom alkaloid rhynchophylline.
Thus, Mitragyna Speciosa is in a Genus which contains 7 other Species, a few of which have been subjectively reported to feel similar in some ways to Kratom, although usually milder. It is clear that the effects and benefits of Kratom are superior to the other members of the Mitragyna Genus, but there is discussion that these other members of the Mitragyna Genus are good alternatives to Kratom in regions where Kratom is banned. Also, some of these Species have been used traditionally to manage a wide variety of ailments, and clearly further scientific and medical research is needed to discover the benefits of all the Species in the Mitragyna Genus.
