Stephania sinica (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Stephania sinica Diels

Protologue: Engl., Pflanzenr. IV 94 (Heft 46): 272 (1910).

Vernacular names

• Vietnam: bình vôi, củ một, cà tòm.

Distribution

Northern Vietnam, Laos and southern China.

Uses

The tuberous roots are used as a remedy for neural anodyne, to treat insomnia, asthma, dysentery, acute stomach trouble and sore throat. The pounded fresh tuberous root is applied as a poultice on pimples and wounds.

Observations

• A twining climber, stem glabrous, root tuberous, up to 70 kg.
• Leaves suborbicular, herbaceous-membranous, round or nearly so at the base, apex acuminate, palmately 10-11-veined.
• Flowers in an axillary compound umbelliform cyme, orange pink.
• Fruit globose compressed, up to 6.5 mm in diameter, endocarp with 4 transverse dorsal ribs.

Selected sources

• Nguyen Tien Ban, 1995. The family Menispermaceae in the flora of Vietnam. Journal of Biology 17(4): 61-67. (in Vietnamese)
• Pham Hoang Ho, 1991-1993. An illustrated flora of Vietnam. 3 volumes. Mekong Publisher, Montreal, Canada.

Main genus page

• Stephania (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Nguyen Tien Ban, Bui Thi Bang, Nguyen Tap & Nguyen Chieu